MAMMALS. 



275 



Aevicola ripaeius borealis (Rich.). Little Northern Meadow Mouse (Esk. Af- 

 tslin-uk). 



If the small northern meadow mouse is to be recognized as a subsiaecies o{ Arvioola riparius, 

 all the specimens in this collection may safely be included in it. Dr. Coues gives 4.43 Inches as the 

 average length of the head and body of the specimens of A. ri;parius from the Eastern United States 

 which he examined. Of twenty-five skins of individuals, apparently adult, in this collection, the 

 head and body of nine (Series A) measure 3 inches and less ; of fourteen (Series B), more than 3 inches 

 and less than 3.5 inches; and of two (Series C), more than 3.50 inches and less than 4 inches. The 

 average length of the tail-vertebrte of eight of the nine specimens first mentioned is .99 inch, and of 

 twenty-three specimens out of the whole series, 1.10 inch. Dr. Ooues's average for the same meas- 

 urement in his series of eastern specimens is 1.59. 



In Series A the color is light, and the specimens exhibit a decided uniformity. In Series B 

 and C the color is somewhat darker, but the variation is not great. 



List of specimens. 



Museum 

 number. 



CoUector'a 

 number. 



Series A. 



13573 

 13583 

 14307 

 14368 

 14369 

 14378 

 14379 

 14380 

 14392. 



104, 22 

 107, 23 

 105 



106, 26 

 109, 20 



121, 81 



122, 83 



123, 82 



Series B and C. 



13037 

 13374 

 13576 

 13579 

 13582 

 13922 

 14366 

 14370 

 14371 

 14372 

 14373 

 14374 

 14375 

 14370 

 14377 

 14382 



4 

 108, 30 

 126, 94 



117, 45 

 160, 273 



58 

 102, 27 

 112, 40 

 U3, 41 



114, 42 



115, 43 



116, 44 



118, 46 



119, 47 



120, 48 



13 

 169, 278 

 101, 31 

 35 

 36 

 37 

 38 

 39 

 134 



Locality. 



Saint Michaels 



....do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



....do 



....do 



...do 



Saint Michaels. 



-- do 



...do 



...do • 



... do 



..do 



.- do , 



Fort Eeliance.. 



...do 



...do , 



...do , 



...do 



.. do , 



...do 



...do 



Saint Michaels . . . 



...do 



.- do 



Fort Eeliancc 



... do 



...do 



...do 



...do 



Date. 



Oct. 25,1S79 

 Oct. 25,1879 

 Oct. 25,1879 

 Oct. 25,1879 

 Oct. 25,1879 

 Not. — , 1879 

 Nov. — , 1879 

 Not. — , 1879 



Oct. 25,1879 

 Dec. 10,1879 



Nov. 10, 1880 

 Feb. —,1879 

 Oct. 2.5,1879 



(*) 



(*) 



(•■) 



(*) 



(*) 



(*) 



(*) 



(*) 



Oct. - 



Mar. - 

 Oct. 



Jan. 



(*) 

 (*) 

 (•) 

 (') 

 (*) 



,1879 

 , 1681 

 ,1879 



, 1880 



Remarks. 



Skin and skull. 



Do. 

 Skin. 

 Skin and skull. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Skin. 



Skin and skull. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Skin. 

 Skin and skull. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Sknll. 



Skia and skull. 



Do. 

 Skull. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 



Do. 

 Skin and skull. 



• Winter of 1878-79. 



Biographical notes. — The present species is abundant and widely spread over all of the Alaskan 

 mainland, and also upon many of the Aleutian Islands and the rocky islands in Bering Straits. 

 A large number of specimens were brought me from the Upper Yukon, and others from S'ulato 

 Auvik, Kotlik, and other places on the Lower Yukon and from the Kuskoquim Eiver. I also found 

 them numerous about the shores of Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean from the mouth of the Kus- 

 koquim Eiver to Cape Lisburne. 



It is the most common mouse in the Territory, and is abundant everywhere except upon some 

 of the Bering Sea Islands, among which the Pur Seal group may be included. 



When winter approaches they gather stores of small bulbous roots, sometimes secreting a peck 

 or more in one place. These stores are usually hidden just under the moss on a small knoll or 

 under the base of a large grassy tussock. 



The Eskimo women and children search for these hiding places with a pointed stick just before 

 winter sets in, and sometimes secure a considerable amount of theroots, which are boiled and eaten 



