70 



The C'anadian Field-Naturalist. 



Vol. XXXV. 



often prevail over the sandy and gravelly 

 floor.s of the lake and its outlet. 



Dr. Sterki's description has, I think, 

 been republished in the Ottawa Naturalist 

 and need not be repeated. The shell has 

 also been reported from Michigan. 



29. MUSCULIUM COLUMBIANUM 

 Sterki. In a mixed lot of shells sent me by 

 the Rev. Geo. W. Taylor marked ' ' Quamil- 

 ehani, V.I," was a musculium which Dr. 

 Sterki has described as new. I append his 

 description from the Nautilus, XXVI, 117. 



"M. columhianum, n. sp. — Mussel of 

 medium size, strongly inflated, outlines 

 (along the valve edges) oval to elliptic 

 without any angles, beaks somewhat behind 

 the middle, large, prominent, rounded or 

 slightly flattened on top, or even calycu- 

 late : surface more or less uneven from lines 

 of growth, somewhat shining, with fine ir- 

 regular striae, color light corneous to yel- 

 lowish often in alternating zones, shell thin 

 sul)translucent ; hinge rather slight, car- 

 dinal teeth small, the right curved with the 

 posterior and thicker, left anterior with 

 apex pointed, posterior quite short; liga- 

 ment and resilium rather short and slight. 



Long. 4.2, alt. 3.6, diam. 3 mm. (100: 

 86:71). 



Long. 3.3, alt. 2.6, diam. 23 mm. (100: 

 79: 70). 



Hah. British Columbia, apparently 

 Avidely distributed, and common, and 

 rather variable with respect to size and 

 shape (no doubt also in Washington, etc.) ; 

 vicinitj' of Esquimalt, collected by Mr. 

 Tavlor over twenty years ago, sent by 

 .Justice F. R. Latchford, No. 6362. Co- 

 tyi)es with the lot in Mr. Latchford 's col- 

 lection. Lots simply marked "B. C", at 

 least some of them from that vicinity, are 

 in various collections; Chilliwack Creek 

 and Lake, B. C, collected by a member of 

 the Canada Geol. Surv. Staff, sent by Mr. 



Whiteaves; a marsh, Duncans, B. C, re- 

 ceived from A. W. Hanham. The first 

 specimens were received in 1895, and the 

 species has been regarded as distinct ever 

 since. 



30. MUSCULIUM RAYMONDI, J. G. 

 Cooper, The late Dr. John Macoun sent me 

 specimens of this shell from British Colum- 

 l)ia, not stating the locality. The shell has 

 probably a wide distribution in that prov- 

 ince as it undoubtedl}' has southward in 

 Washington, Oregon, and California. It 

 resembles securis but with the posterior 

 part of the mussel markedly higher than 

 the anterior. 



31. MUSCULIUM LENTICULA Gould. 

 This shell is mentioned by Dr. Dall as oc- 

 curring in British Columbia (Harr. Alas- 

 ka Exp., XII, 140), and on his authority I 

 give it a place in the Canadian list. The 

 onl}^ specimens I have seen are from Cali- 

 fornia. 



32. MUSCULIUM LACUSTRE Muller. 

 Dr. Sterki {Ann. Carng. Mus., X, 442) 

 gives the habitat of this species as Palear- 

 tic and Neartic Regions, Indiana, Ontario 

 (and probably northward), California and 

 AVashington. " He thinks that some of the 

 shells considered by Dr. Dall to be lenti- 

 cula may belong to this species. 



There are several lots of musculia in my 

 collection of doubtful identity. One from 

 the small pond southwest of the intersec- 

 tion of the Rideau Canal and the Chaudi- 

 ere branch of the Canadian Pacific Rail- 

 way may be undescribed. Two others from 

 Vancouver Island, Nos. 2364 and 2365 (b), 

 are said by Dr. Sterki to appear not to be- 

 long to any described species. 



In the continuation of this paper I shall 

 deal briefly with the remaining genus, 

 Pisidium — very largely represented in 

 Canada in both individuals and species. 



A IJAin' PORCUPINE. 

 By Charles Macnam A iJA, Arnprior, Ontario. 



It was early in May on the sliores of 

 that expanse of the Ottawa known as Lac 

 des Chats. The Ornithologist jiad disap- 

 peared into the thicket, following an un- 

 known and elusive bird voice — goodness 

 knows it must have been a rara avis when 

 the Ornitlioloirist did not know it — and I 



was left searching a pine stump for certain 

 minute insects. After a while I began to 

 wonder when he was coming back, for he 

 was carrying the lunch in his rucksack, 

 and breakfast seemed to jnaxe happened a 

 long time ago. Suddenly he hurried a- 

 rouiifl a turn in the log-road, and, a little 



