THE MAMMALS OF THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 347 



Paul, what appeared to be the droppings of this mouse, but as the circumstances 

 permitted only a hasty inspection of them, I may have been mistaken. It may be 

 stated positively that no specimens of the lemming are known from St. Paul, and if 

 the animal occurs there at all the fact remains to be demonstrated. 

 Mr. Elliott wrote as follows in 1875 : 



Aside from seal life on the Pribilof Islands, there are no indigenous mammalia, with the exception 

 of blue and white foxes and the lemming (Myodes oiensis),' which latter is restricted, singularly- 

 enough, to the island of St. George, where it is exceedingly abundant. Its burrows and paths under 

 and among the grassy hummocks and mossy flats literally checker every square rod of land there 

 covered with this vegetation ; and although St. Paul Island lies but 29 miles to the northwest, not a 

 single one of these active curious little animals is found there.^ 



Mr. Palmer reported that though formerly abundant, they had become scarce in 

 1890. My own observation in 1895 led me to the same conclusion as regards the north 

 side. In the lichen -covered fields between the village and Staraya Artel their run- 

 wayvS were enormously abundant, but they were very largely deserted. Mr. Prentiss 

 labored faithfully during a sojourn often days on the island to obtain a series of spec- 

 imens, but only secured four. He reported, however, that on the south side of the 

 island, iu the vicinity of Zapadni rookery there were numerous fresh runways, and 

 at one point he saw two lemmings running through them. 



In 1896 and 1897 the scarcity of lemmings was very noticeable, but one specimen 

 being seen and none taken. This scarcity is attributable to the foxes, which are 

 abundant and devour the lemmings whenever possible. 



The condition of knowledge regarding the American lemmings of the present 

 genus is not at all satisfactory. Richardson described two species from Arctic British 

 America, under the names of helvolus^ and trimucrdnatus* Middendorf considered 

 them both identical with M. obensis Brandt, in which opinion he was followed by 

 Coues.* 



Prom the scanty material at command, it would appear that the American lem- 

 mings are certainly distinct from the Asiatic obensis, and that there are two species 

 besides the Pribilof form. Whether Eichardsou's two species are really distinct from 

 each other, and whether either are represented in the National Museum collection can 

 not be definitely determined at present. A form from the Arctic coast and from the 

 mouth of the Porcupine liiver, which appears to represent trimucronatus, is close to 

 the Pribilof species, differing only, so far as can be determined, by its smaller size and 

 brownish rather than black feet. The island form may thus prove to be at most only 

 a subspecies of one of the mainland species.^ 



1 The shrew was not then known to exist there. 



2 Report, 1875, pp. 72, 73. 



3 Fauna Boreal i Amer. I, 1829, p. 128. 



■•Parry's Second Voyage, Appendix, 1825, p. 309; 1. c, p. 130. 

 6 Cones and Allen, N. A. Kodentia, 1877, p. 240. 



^Wagner also described an American species under the name of Myodes albogularia. (See 

 Schreber's Saugeth., Suppl., 3, 1843, p. 602.) 



