102 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



SUBSPECIES OF FIBER ZIBETHICUS 



Hind foot about 80 (3A) ; color brown much 



suffused with yellowisb and reddish F. z i b e t h i c u s z i b e t h i c u s 



Hind foot about 73 (2|) ; color blacliisb 



brown, little suffused with yellowish and 



reddish F. zibethicus aquiionius 



Fiber zibethicus zibethicus (Linnaeus) Northern muskrat 

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



(Eastern Canada) 

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



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

 length, 600 (23i); tail vertebrae, 267 (lOi) ; hind foot, 80 (3n). (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 aquiionius Bangs Labrador muskrat 

 1899 Fiber zibethicus aquiionius Bangs, Proc. 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 (9i) ; hiud foot, 73 (21). (aquiionius; 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 Newfoundland muskrat 



1894 Fiber obscurus Bangs, Proc. biolog. soc. Washirigtou. 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 (2f). (obsci'irus; 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 ivithout roots, (prongs); ton i/ palate not ending in a thin-edged shelf behind ; 

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

 distinctly red). (Microtus; 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. 



