notices of new Boots. 315 



differences which are to be found in the shape and relative length 

 of the nasal bones. Mr. Martin, recognising these as good 

 specific characters, treats of both forms in his book, but 

 naturally devotes the larger share of attention to the Canadian 

 animal, with which he has had better opportunities for becoming 

 acquainted. His account of the European Beaver, in fact, is 

 extremely meagre ; and although a chapter is devoted to it, this 

 extends to no more than three pages, and deals very inadequately 

 with the present distribution of the animal in Europe, a subject 

 which was dealt with in much greater detail some few years ago 

 in this Journal (Zool. 1886, pp. 265—286). 



The discovery of the Canadian Beaver was, naturally enough, 

 coincident with the discovery of Canada, and the animal proving 

 to be a source of wealth, on account of its valuable skin, its 

 effigy became adopted as a national symbol. But it was not 

 until the establishment of the fur- trading posts at Quebec in 

 1604, and at Montreal in 1611, that this commercial importance 

 was seriously considered, and the destruction of the Beaver 

 colonies commenced, not only in Canada, but around Hudson's 

 Bay and the shores of Lake Superior, the head waters of the 

 Missouri and the Seskatchewan, and upon the tributaries of the 

 Columbia. The regions bordering on the Yukon, on the upper 

 part of Mackenzie River, on Frazer's River, and on the Sacra- 

 mento, were also noted for Beavers. 



The term " Canadian Beaver " is too restrictive, seeing that 

 there is but this one species in the New World, and that its dis- 

 tribution is uncommonly wide, ranging from the confines of the 

 Arctic Sea on the north, to the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande, 

 and the Gila rivers on the south ; and even southward of these 

 ranges, in Tamanlipas in Mexico, which is the southernmost 

 point to which it has been definitely traced. Throughout all the 

 intermediate area, from Hudson's Bay and the Atlantic on the 

 east to the Pacific on the west, it has been found generally 

 distributed. 



In his chapters on the life-history of the animal (pp. 45 — 48) 

 and its engineering accomplishments (pp. 63 — 77), Mr. Martin 

 does not add much to what was already well known, and on some 

 points still unsettled he gives no information* For example, in 

 the first of these two chapters he does not describe the condition 

 of the young at birth, nor state whether they are born blind or 



