P 12 British Columbia. 1920 



Ocliotonid<B. 

 Genus Ochotona. 



The Pika, or Little Chief Hare, has the appearance of a miniature brown rabbit, although 

 it represents an independent family, being neither a hare nor a rabbit. Its habitat is high up 

 on the mountain ranges of the West, from near timber-line up to the line of perpetual snow. 



They live among the eaves and crevices of the rock-slides and are to be found sitting on the 

 top of some prominent rock ; at the least alarm they give a shrill call and disappear into their 

 retreats, only to appear again to see if the intruder has gone away. 



These little animals are very industrious, and work constantly through the day, gathering 

 grass and various alpine plants, which are piled up (like miniature stacks of hay) among the 

 rocks for their winter use. 



The series of skins in the collection of the Provincial Museum are all from the Mainland of 

 the Provinee,-and have recently been identified by Mr. Howell, of the Biological Survey, United 

 States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 



So far as is known, there is no record of the genus occurring on Vancouver Island ; although 

 it is quite possible that biological research in our Alpine-Arctic zones may add this mammal to 

 the fauna of Vancouver Island. 



Species known to occur in British Columbia are as follows : — 



Ochotona princeps princeps (Richards). Distributed throughout the Rocky Mountains in 

 British Columbia, northward to the South Branch of the Mackenzie River. 



Ochotona collaris (Nelson). This is a northern species found in the mountains from south 

 of Fort Yukon, including Atlin District, Northern British Columbia. The two skins in the 

 Museum collection from White Mountain, Moose Arm, Tagish Lake, Atlin, presented by the late 

 F. H. Mobley, M.P.P., are identified as this species. 



Ochotona cuppes (Bangs). Throughout the Gold Range, British Columbia. Type locality. 

 Monishe Divide. 



Ochotona -fenisex. Distributed through the Okanagan and Tulameen, the data of skins in 

 the Museum collection recording an altitude of from 3,500 to 4,000 feet. 



Ochotona fenisex broolcsi. Skins recorded from Sicamous to Mount McLean, Lillooet. A 

 comparatively new subspecies ranging through the Cascades. 



Ochotona minimus (Lord). Distribution in British Columbia near the boundary-line. 

 Limits of range unknown. Type from Ptarmigan Hill, Cascade Range, B.C. 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



Birds. — In this branch considerable work has been carried on throughout the year with the 

 study series, ten new specimen sectional storage-cases having been added. The collection has 

 been considerably worked over and made more accessible for students, and at the present time 

 we are installing another sixteen sectional cases to take care of the balance of the valuable 

 study skins, which have been stored in boxes and were not very accessible to those persons who 

 wished to consult our large bird-skin collection of the birds of this Province. 



Since Mr. .7. W. Gibson, the Director of Elementary Education, has inaugurated his nature- 

 Study in the public schools of this Province, considerable call has been made ou the Museum, 

 more particularly in the study of bird-life. Numbers of classes have been brought here by their 

 teachers, and the Director and his assistants have given all the possible instruction to these 

 young students in their study of ornithology. The Department has also loaned a number of 

 skins to several of the school-teachers upon request, so that they should have them bandy for 

 instructions in their nature-study at different times during the school term. 



This, however, is not very satisfactory, on accouut of breaking into the series thai should 

 not really be loaned out for this purpose. It would be a capital idea it' the Department of 

 Education would take up the matter of having small collections of mounted specimens under 

 their own jurisdiction; these to be sent round from school to school throughout the Province 

 in cities and towns and districts where there are no measures similar to the Natural History 

 Museum in Victoria. This would assist the Children greatly in their Identification of species, 

 and also give them an idea of what to look for in their rambles throughout the country. 



Numbers of requests come from time to time from other museums for the loan of ornitho- 

 logical materia] for study by specialists who are working out the exact species and subspecies, 



that vary so in different portions of America, according to geographical conditions. 



