MAMMALS. 



275 



Aevicola EiPAKius BOEEALis (Eicb.). Little Northern Meadow Mouse (Esk. Af- 

 tslin-uk). 



If the small nortberu meadow mouse is to be recognized as a subspecies of Arvicola rijparins, 

 all the specimens in this collection may safely be included in it. Dr. Cones gives 4.43 inches as the 

 average length of the head and body of the specimens of A. riparhis from the Eastern United States 

 which he examined. Of twenty-live skins of individuals, apparently adult, iu this collection, the 

 head and body of nine (Series A) measure 3 inches and less; of fourteen (Series B), more than 3 iuches 

 and less than 3.5 inches: and of two (Series C), more than 3.50 inches and less than 4 iuches. The 

 average length of the tail-vertebric of eight of the nine specimens first mentioned is .99 inch, and of 

 twenty-three specimens out of the whole series, 1.10 inch. Dr. Coues's average for the same meas- 

 urement iu his series of eastern specimens is 1.59. 



In Series A the color is lighf, and the sjiecimeus exhibit a decided uniformity. Iu Series B 

 and the color is somewhat darker, but the variatiou is not great. 



List of specimens. 



Museum 

 nnmber. 



Collector's 

 number. 



Series A. 



13573 

 13583 

 143C7 

 14368 

 14369 

 14378 

 14379 

 14380 

 14392 



1114. 22 

 107, 23 

 105 



106, 2G 

 109, 20 



121, 81 



122, 85 



123, 62 



Series B and C. 



13037 

 13574 

 13570 

 13579 

 13582 

 13922 

 14366 

 14370 

 14371 

 14372 

 14373 

 14374 

 14375 

 14376 

 14377 

 14382 



4 

 108, 30 

 126, 04 



117, 45 

 160, 273 



58 

 102, 27 



112, 40 



113, 41 



114, 42 



115, 43 

 110, 44 



118, 40 



119, 47 



120, 48 



Loealit\' 



Date. 



Bemarks. 



Saint Michaels....! Oct. 25. l.s;9 

 do I Oct. 25,1879 



...do . 

 ...do. 



Oct. 25 1879 

 . Oct. 25, 1879 



.do ' Oct. 25,1879 



.do. 

 .do. 

 do. 



Xov. — , 18' 

 Nov. — , 1879 

 Xov. — , 1679 



Saint Michaels. 



.. do 



...do 



...do 



... do 



..do 



... do 



Fort Reliance., 

 do 



do . 

 .do. 



do. 



do. 



do . 

 -do 



13 

 169, 278 

 101, 31 

 35 

 36 

 37 

 38 

 39 

 134 



Saint Michaels. 

 ..do 



do 



Fort Eeliance. 



- do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



Oct. 25,1879 

 Dec. 10,1879 



Nov. 10, 18S0 

 Feb. —,1879 

 Oct. 25,1879 



(•) 



(•) 



(') 



(*) 



(') 



(-) 



(*) 



(-) 



, 1879 

 , 18S1 

 ,1879 



Oct. 

 Mar. 

 Oct. 



(*) 

 (*1 

 {') 

 (*) 

 (*) 

 Jan. — , 18S0 



Skin and skull. 



Do. 

 Skin. 

 Skin and yknll. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Skin. 



Skin and skull. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Skin. 

 Skin and skull. 



Dn. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Skull. 



Skin and skull. 



Do. 

 Sknll. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Skin and skull. 



* Winter of 1878-'79. 



Biographical notes. — Tlie present species is abundant and widely spread over all of the Alaskan 

 mainland, and also upou many of the Aleutian Islands and the rocky islands iu Bering Straits. 

 A large number of specimens were brought me from the Upper Yukou, and others from Xiilato, 

 Auvik, Kotlik, and other places on the Lower Yukon and from the Kuskoquim Eiver. I also found 

 them uumerous about the sliores of Bering Sea and the Arctic Oceau from the mouth of the Kus- 

 koquim River to Cape Lisburne. 



It is the most commou mouse in the Territory, and is abundant everywhere except upou some 

 of the Bering Sea Islands, among which the Fur Seal group may be included. 



When winter approaches they gather stores of small bulbous roots, sometimes secreting a peck 

 or more in one place. These stores are usually hidden just umler the moss on a small knoll or 

 under the base of a large gras.sy tussock. 



The Eskimo women and children search for these hiding places with a pointed stick just before 

 winter sets in, and sometimes secure a considerable amount of theropts, which are boiled and eaten 



