440 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vol. 12 



CASTOR CANADENSIS LEUCODONTA GRAY, FROM VANCOUVER 

 ISLAND, BRITISH COLUMBIA 

 Material 

 Sixteen specimens, skins with skulls, and skulls only, partly from 

 the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and partly from the United 

 Statrs National Museum, Biological Survey collection: Hall's 

 Ranch, Alberni Valley, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, 10 

 (nos. 12101-12110, skins with skulls, Mus. Vert, Zool.) ; Great Cen- 

 tral Lake, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, 1 (no. 12111, skin 

 with skull, Mus. Vert. Zool.) ; San Josef River Valley, Vancouver 

 Island, British Columbia. 5 (nos. 140569-140573, skulls only, U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., Biol. Surv. coll). 



Comparison With Castor canadensis canadensis Kuhl, from Eastern 

 Canada, and Castor canadensis phaeus Heller, from Admiralty Island 



General external characters. — Specimens compared: Castor can- 

 adensis leucodonta, nos. 12101-12111, Mus. Vert. Zool., all but the 

 last (which is from Great Central Lake, Vancouver Island) are 

 from Alberni, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, June 11-27, 

 August 25, 1910; Castor canadensis canadensis, nos. 4358 3 , U. S. 

 Nat. Mus., Moose River, Ontario, Hudson Bay region, May 21, 1860; 

 nos. 174525 3 , and 174526 2 , U. S. Nat. Mus., Nepisiquit River, 

 New Brunswick, Sept, 25, 1911 ; Castor canadensis phaeus, no. 

 128 3, Mole Harbor; nos. 129 3, 185 3 , 210 3 , 211 3, Hassel- 

 borg Lake ; no. 209 3 , Pleasant Bay ; all Admiralty Island, Alaska, 

 in Mus. Vert. Zool. 



A specimen of leucodonta taken in August (no. 12111) is very 

 similar in general coloration to the September examples of cana- 

 densis from New Brunswick. The resemblance in coloration of the 

 hair dorsaLty is close. Coloration beneath different, varying about 

 hair brown in leucodonta, near bone brown, dark grayish brown, 

 dark vinaceous-drab or natal brown in canadensis. The difference 

 in ventral coloration is more marked between no. 12111 and no. 

 174525, which is darker, than between no. 12111 and no. 174526, 

 which is paler. The Vancouver Island series is not comparable 

 with the Moose River example of canadensis (no. 4358). The over- 

 hair of the latter beneath is darker than in leucodonta, while the 

 underfill' beneath is paler. The fact that there has been much 

 fading, however, renders comparisons taking account of no. 435S 

 of dubious value. 



