68 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIV. 



best, evidently to emphasize the beauty of the morn- 

 ing. 



Northern Red Squirrel, Sciurus hudsonicus 

 hudsonicus (Erxleben). 



The red squirrel occurs in abundance throughout 

 the region. 



"The specimens submitted (three) seen to be 

 typical 5. h. hudsonicus, showing little difference 

 frcm specimens from Algonquin Park, Kabatogama 

 Lake (St. Louis Co., Minn., near the Inter. 

 Boundary), and Edmonton. The Minnesota speci- 

 mens approach to the range of Sciurus hudsonicus 

 minnesoia Allen, but are probably hudsonicus. 

 Hollister (Bull. Wis. Nat. Hist. Soc.) places speci- 

 mens from Two Harbors, north of Duluth, Minn., 

 as 5. h. hudsonicus." (R. M. Anderson). 



The specimens reported upon by Dr. Anderson 

 show a gradual advance from summer to winter 

 pelage — discarding the dark brown of the back, 

 ochraceous-white of the underparts and the black 

 lateral stripe of summer, for the greyish ground 

 color of the back, reddish dorsal band and neutral 

 plumbecus-white of winter. Examination of the 

 specimens seems to indicate a complete moult in 

 about three weeks: Sept. 25-Oct. 14. 



It will be interesting to note here in regard to the 

 shedding of Sciurus that in one individual the sum- 

 mer coat was being shed uniformly from rear to 

 front, the line of demarkation between the two 

 conditions being plainly evident. In a specimen of 

 loquax taken at Preston, Ont., May 13, the same 

 uniformity of shedding prevailed only exactly 

 reversed; the moult beginning at the head and 

 advancing backward. The demarkation in this 

 specimen is very pronounced. The process affecting 

 the new coat seems to be confined chiefly to the 

 active edge of the renewing area, where apparent- 

 ly the old hair drops out and the new replaces it 

 in a gradual advance, each portion maintaining 

 simultaneously the pure color of the respective sea- 

 sonal pelages, with but little scattered shedding. 

 This unusual manner of assiiming a new pelage may 

 be likened (permitting the simile) to an ice sheet, 

 slowly enveloping a continent with the principal 

 physical changes devolving from the active forces 

 of its advancing border. 



Canadian Beaver, Castor canadensis Kuhl. 



I found the beaver common on all the rivers and 

 many of the lakes in the locality. Abundance of 

 signs on the Wakami above its junction with the 

 Ridcut river and the absence of lodges indicates the 

 "bank nest" as the permanent abode. Along the 

 latter stream, where dams and lodges are common, 

 the shores for the most part are low, sometimes 

 marshy, and fringed with willows. The Wakami 

 river on the other hand is bordered with compar- 



atively high banks and heavily timbered. At present, 

 the trapping of beaver in Algoma is restricted to ten 

 animals each year, per trapper. Each skin must be 

 accompanied by a government "beaver coupon" 

 (each 50 cents) before sale or shipment. This 

 should have a beneficent result toward their con- 

 servation. 



Hudson Bay Varying Hare, Lepus americanus 



Erxleben. 



J 



The hare, as is commonly known has its sep- 

 tenary ebb and flow of abundance. At Ridout, 

 conditions pointed to a low ebb ; only a few signs, 

 mostly old, were observed, and but one or two 

 animals. A female taken on October 4, 1918, was 

 beginning to change very slightly into the winter i 



pelage over the buttocks and ears. Its two measure- I 



ments were: Length, 17 inches, (434 mm.); foot, 

 5^/4 inches, (145 mm.) 



During October, 1917, the hare was scarce every- 

 where, although numerous old signs indicated a 

 former abundance. A specimen collected on the 

 29th had affected a substantial change from the 

 summer coat. Color: Ventral region extending to 

 the throat and including the legs, buttocks, ears, 

 and line anteriorly from eye to ear, nearly pure 

 white. Ring around the neck and on the lower 

 cheek, dirty-brownish white, darkest on the latter. 

 Dorsally, conspicuous brown from shoulders to 

 rump, much suffused with whitish. Fur over nasal 

 and entire frontal, brown, mixed sparingly with 

 white. Upper fringe of the ear, black. Length of 

 hair on the back, 25 mm. 



Northern Virginia Deer, Odocoileus ameri- 

 canus horealis Miller. 



Deer occur, but are not common at Ridout. 

 Whether the moose which are numerous there, ex- 

 ert a positive detrimental influence against the in- 

 crease of the former is problematical. Probably 

 the general arboreal conditions are not highly fav- 

 orable to the deer. East of Ridout in all the coun- 

 try surrounding Metagama, Forks, Fluorite and 

 Pogma, I understand the deer are extremely com- 

 mon, supplanting the moose almost entirely. After 

 a fresh snowfall in November, 1917, I saw two 

 deer trails north of Ridout but in October, 1918, 

 none were seen. A trainman reported seeing a fine 

 big buck in the C.P.R. ballast pit a short distance 

 west of the station. 



Moose, Alces americanus Jardine. 



Moose arc very common in the general vicinity of 

 Ridout and reported in numbers at all points from 

 Cartier to the north shore of Lake Superior. The 

 past fall (1918) was exceptionally favorable for 

 observing these animals. If the weather is mild 

 they frequent the waterways comparatively late in 

 the season. During the past season individuals could 



