October, 1902.] MAMMALS OF KEEWATIN. 69 



Mustela pennanti Erxleben. Fisher. 



Found sparingly tliroughout the southern part of the region. We 

 saw many skins at Norway House and Oxford House. Dr. ^lilne, of 

 Yorlv Factory, informed me that he had known of one lisher being 

 taken about CO miles east of York Factory, toward Cape Tatnara, and 

 had on one occasion seen a track about .50 miles southeast of York 

 Factory. Farther south more are taken; about thirty or forty are 

 annually traded at Trout Lake and a few at Se\'ern River. 



Skulls from Oxford House and Cross Lake, collected during the 

 winter of 1900-1901, resemble closely skulls from Godbout, Quebec, 

 assumed to be typical 2'>''n mintl. 



Gulo luscus (Linn.). Hudson Bay AVoherine. 



Edwards figured and gave a short account of the ' Quick Hatch or 

 Wolverene' from an individual which was brought alive from Hudson 

 Bay, and which lived for several yeai's." This specimen formed the 

 basis of Linufeus's description of the species, which he named Jhkcus, 

 in allusion to the beast having lost an eye. The wolverine is still 

 found throughout the region between Lake Winnipeg and Hudson 

 Bay, but is rather rare in the .southern districts, though a few skins 

 were seen at all the posts visited. To the northward it is more abun- 

 dant, its range extending over the Barren Grounds and some of the 

 islands of the Polar Sea. 



In Hearne's day the natives to the north of Fort Churchill killed 

 many wolverines.* Edward Sabine recorded a skull found on Melville 

 Island on Parry's first voyage," and on his second voyage the remains 

 of wolverines were found on Melville Peninsula.'' ^^'olverines were 

 killed in midwinter near Felix Harbor and Victoria Harbor during 

 Boss's second voyage.'^ Skins are still obtained in the vicinity of 

 Marble Island. 



Odobenus rosmarus (Linn.). Atlantic Walrus. 



Occasionally found about the northern jjart of the Bay, to which 

 section it is probably confined. The bod}' of one had been brought to 

 Fort Churchill by the Eskimos and skinned there a few days before 

 our arrival. A small quantity of walrus ivory, which forms one of 

 the articles of trade, was seen at that post. 



Dr. Bell says: 



The walrus is killed by the Eskimo, principally about the entrance to Hudson's 

 Straits and around the Belcher Islands. In former years this animal is reported to 

 have been seen occasionally as far south as Little Whale River. On the opposite 

 side of Hudson's Bay walruses are said to have been seen near Cape Henrietta 

 Maria./ 



aNat. Hist., II, pi. 103, 1747. ~~ 



6 Journey * * * to the Northern Ocean, p. 372, 1795. 

 "Suppl. to Appendix to Parry's First Voyage, p. clxxxiv, 1824. 

 <« Appendix to Parry's Second Voyage, p. 293, 1825 (1827). 

 «Appendix to Boss's Second Voyage, p. viii, 1835. 

 /Rept. Prog. Can. Geol. Surv., 1877-78, p. 29c (1879). 



