I02 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



SUBSPECIES OF FIBER ZIBETHICUS 



Hind foot about 80 (Sts) ; color brown much 



suffused with yellowish and reddish F. zibethicuszibethicus 



Hind foot about 73 (2|) ; color blackish 



brown, little suffused with yellowish and 



reddish F. zibethicus aquiionius 



Fiber zibethicus zibethicus (Linnaeus) Northern initskrat 



1766 [Castor] zibethicus Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 12. 1 : 79. 



(Easteru Canada) 

 1817 Fiber zibethicus Cuvier, Regne animal, 1 : 192. 



Rich dark brown above ; sides and belly strongly tinged with rusty. Total 

 length, 600 (23^) ; tail vertebrae, 267 (10^) ; bind foot, 80 (3r^). (zibethicus; 

 Lat., a civet, in allusion to the musky odor) 



The northern muskrat is abundant in marshes and on the borders of 

 ponds and water courses throughout eastern North America, south at 

 least into the upper austral zone. In Louisiana it is replaced by another 

 race, F. z. rivalicius Bangs. In Labrador it gives way to the 

 following form. 



Fiber zibethicus aquilonius Bangs Labrador muskrat 



1899 Fiber zibethicus aquilonius Bangs, Proe. New England zool. 

 club. 28 Feb. 1899. 1:11. 

 Blackish brown above ; sides and belly tinged with umber. Total length, 

 540 (2i); tail vertebrae, 240 (9^) ; hind foot, 73 (2|). (a quil 6 ni u s; Lat., 

 northern) 



The Labrador muskrat is thus far known from Black bay, Labrador 

 only. It probably ranges throughout the Hudsonian zone of Labrador. 



Fiber obscurus Bangs Newfou7tdla7id muskrat 



1894 Fiber obscurus Bangs, Proc. biolog. soc. Washington. 15 Sep. 1894. 

 9:133. (Codroy, Newfoundland) 



Blackish brown above; sides and belly light grayish brown tinged with fawn 

 color; upper lip white. Total length, 180 (19) ; tail vertebrae, 210 (8i) ; hind 

 foot, 70 (2|). (obscurus; Lat., dark) 



The Newfoundland muskrat is confined to the island of Newfound- 

 land. 



Genus Microtus Schrank 



1798 Microtus Schrank, Fauna boica. 1: 72. Type Mus arvalis Pallas. 

 Front teeth without grooves, not compressed, broader than deep: grinding 

 teeth without roots, (prongs); hony palate not ending in a thin- edged shelf behind', 

 body stout and thick ; tail short ; ears just appearing above fur (color seldom 

 distinctly red). (M i c r 6 t u s ; Gk., small ear) 



The genus Microtus is distributed throughout the boreal and 



austral regions of the northern hemisphere. It probably contains one 



hundred or more species, seven of which occur within our limits. 



