April. 1920] 



The Canadian Field-Naturaust 



65 



indicating the animal's habit of travelling in such 

 places. Winter or summer they seem to have a 

 regular route, usually at the forest's fringe; about 

 rivers, lakes, or natural meadows rather than in the 

 extreme depths. In western Alberta I learned that 

 the Indians know these routes so well that snares at 

 peculiarly favorable places are maintained in sea- 

 son, from year to year and are handed down as a 

 heritage from father to son. The general topo- 

 graphy of a region usually suggests to the experi- 

 enced man, the favorable disposition of snares. 

 Lynxes do not confine themselves to the lowlands 

 for they possess an inherent love of expanse that 

 betakes them regularly to breezy heights or the lip 

 of yawning space. 



One day, in November, I happened upon a young 

 Indian preparing a snare for lynx on a semi-forested 

 elevation hundreds of feet above the Hay river. Ex- 

 pressing surprise at the choice of such a place for 

 a snare the young Cree answered in broken English 

 "Him good; much go." I took his word for it. 

 Passing by a few days later while moose hunting, 

 sure enough a big cat was there, choked to death 

 and apparently by his own effort, for both front 

 feet were stiffly braced against the toggle to which 

 the snare-thong was tied. 



It is perhaps interesting to note that the inevitable 

 "beaver castor" so alluring to many animals, is 

 equally so to the big cat. He simply cannot resist it. 

 To purr and rub his neck agamst the concoction is 

 apparently the one unsatisfied ambition, — unsatis- 

 fied because the snare acts first. An Indian that 

 I entertained in my cabin one night loosened up 

 enough to tell me that the Crees' common brown 

 "lynx dope" was simply a mixture of boiled rabbit 

 liver and beaver castor. As beaver were protected 

 in Alberta at that time, we are permitted to guess 

 where they got the "castor." 



Dusky White-footed Mouse, Peromyscus 

 maniculalus maniculatus (Wagner). 



The white-footed mouse is fairly common at 

 Ridout, having collected it in nearly all high situa- 

 tions both semi-barren and timbered. 



By measurements (actual and relative) nine 

 specimens taken come well within the limits of 

 P. m. maniculalus (Wagner) =Pcromj;scus cana- 

 densis umbrinus Miller, recorded from Peninsula 

 Harbo', Ont. (Notes on the Mammals of On- 

 tario). 



' These specimens do not seem to show any in- 

 termediate characters in measurements or coloration 

 with P. maniculatus gracilis (Le Conte) =P. cana- 

 densis canadensis Miller." R. M. Anderson. 



All but one have tails slightly less than half 

 the total length. All have under-sides of hind-feet 



haired except on the pads and spaces between — 

 length 20 mm. or greater. 



This northern variety of the white-foot, was 

 found in nearly all of the greatly diversified sur- 

 face situations. Include Blarina and the two cover 

 the territory very well. On the very edge of low 

 mossy woods I have taken them in traps set for 

 Evotom})s (Red-backed Vole) and likewise in 

 "sets" made on high ground intended for other mam- 

 mals. One afternoon while crossing a small barren 

 plateau I noticed a neat little hole driven deep into 

 the soil beside a log. Miller's incident with 

 Phenacomys was immediately recalled, wherefore 

 through a little inductive reasoning I expected next 

 morning to catalogue one of those voles, but alas, 

 the trap held only a lonely Peromyscus. That was 

 the closest I got to Phcnacomys — in all probability 

 rather remote. 



The places of commonest occurence for Per- 

 nmyscus, were about the fringe of woods bordering 

 natural meadows or rocky tree-interspersed land. 

 While trapping for Hoy's shrew (Microsorex hoyi) 

 on dry wooded hill-sides, though failing to get that 

 animal, I never wanted for deer mice. North of the 

 station a small glaciated and striated ridge of granite 

 ran east and west, covered with conifers wherever 

 enough till or mould had accumulated in its hol- 

 lows to support them. On the south side several 

 small wooded terraces sloped down, alternating 

 with rock which often formed low precipitous back- 

 grounds for the former. At the foot of these 

 among the trees I set a number of traps because in 

 the individual character of the situations thev 

 seemed to offer good opportunities for intercepting 

 any small mammal that ran the ledge. But, again, 

 though taking a number of the Masked Shrew 

 (S. personaius), Peromyscus inevitably paid the 

 greater price. And incidentally, this was one place 

 that I failed to get Blarina — a genuine relief. Twice 

 I trapped the dusky mouse in low grassy creek 

 borders but the dainty white-foot usually haunted 

 higher ground. 



Northern Lemming Mouse, Synapiomys 

 fatuus (Bangs). 



This lemming is uncommon at Ridout. Only two 

 specimens were collected. These are identical in 

 appearance, except for the smaller size of No. 353 

 which is evidently juvenile or adolescent. They are 

 similar to adult Microlus p. fontigenus but the pep- 

 per and salt effect on the back is noticeably coarser. 

 These examples were taken in the same strip of 

 swamp. Though persistent trapping in most fav- 

 orable places was conducted for several weeks, no 

 further specimens were observed. Only a few- 

 yards separated the two traps which captured them, 

 both beside decayed, moss-covered logs in the sphag- 

 num of a spruce woods north-east of the station. 



