﻿342 Trof, Milne — Across Ewope and Asia. 



results, as deduced from an examination of more than 30 European 

 recent and fossil beavers' skulls, and a greater number of recent American 

 skulls, seem to sliow that the proportion between the length of the 

 nasal bones to the length of the skull in the European Beaver, is to 

 the length of nasal bone to the length of skull in the American 

 ])eaver as 6 is to o. Or more mathematically — 



Length of Nasal Bones , Length of Nasal Bones 



European . ■ American I ! 6 t 5. 



Length of Skull Length of Skull 



In a still simpler form the European Beavers have larger nasal 

 bones than the American Beavers. The Beavers of both countries 

 appear to have been contemporaneous with their gigantic predecessors, 

 namely, the Trogontlierium of Europe and the Castoroides of America, 

 and the ancient giants had differences like their modern but com- 

 paratively dwarfish successors. Now what I saw of Beavers in 

 the St. Petersburg Museum were two or three brownish-red stuffed 

 specimens upstairs where the public go, and five skulls from 

 localities from which specimens are rarely seen in the vault with 

 Bytina Stelleri. These latter were the ones of interest. The first 

 came from the Eiver Kola, the second and third came from California, 

 the fourth came from the Kurile Isles, whilst the fifth was fi-om 

 Sitka. Those with the shortest nasal bones w^ere from the Kurile 

 Isles and Sitka, then came one of the Californian specimens, then the 

 specimen fi'om the Kola EiA^er, and last of all, with the longest nasal 

 bones, was the remaining specimen from California. Such a result 

 as this is incongruous and at variance with the elaborate deductions 

 just quoted. Perhaps American specimens west of the Eocky 

 Mountains may be classed with European. The examination was, 

 liowever, cursor^-, and therefore perhaps incorrect; nevertheless, it 

 may be sufficient to draw the attention of the labourers in such 

 inquiries to the five skulls lying in the vaults of the great St. 

 Petersburg Museum. 



Amongst other things of novelty and interest which I saw during 

 my short visit to the Museum, were some remarkably large skulls of 

 Arctic Bears- 18 inches and 20 inches in length, which had recently 

 Ijeen received from Northern Siberia. A good specimen of a Great 

 Auk, half hidden b}'- a flock of other birds, attracted my attention. 

 Not long ago an egg of this now apparently extinct bird was 

 offered to the Museum. The price asked was 700 thalers. It was 

 not purchased. This Museum, like many other scientific under- 

 takings in Eussia, seemed to be much in want of assistance. The 

 reptiles looked bright and fresh, but the order of the remaining 

 collections was below the standard of a public museum. The 

 comers of each room, where in winter-time stoves had been standing, 

 were all torn down, and the openings only covered with rough paper. 



Whilst travelling about St. Petersburg, everybody is struck with 

 the two extremes which the paving assumes, as it so materially con- 

 cerns the comfort of the traveller. One part of the city is even 

 and smooth, and over this one rolls noiselessly ; whilst the other part 

 is so uneven and bouldery, that at times it is difficult to retain one's 



