NORTH AMERICAN BEAVERS, OTTERS AND FISHERS. 423 



Remarks. — Reliable measurements of only one adult skin specimen (the type) of 

 pacificus were accessible. An adult mounted specimen from Josephine county, Oregou, 

 in the Wagner Institute, Philadelphia, confirms the color and measurements of the type 

 so far as the latter can be ascertained from the stuffed animal. 



Pacificus, like its associates, Mustela americana caurina and M. canadensis pacified 

 of the Pacific slope regions, is distinguishable by its rich and deep coloration from its 

 darkest trans-Cascadian representatives. No specimens have come to hand from Alaska, 

 but undoubtedly, from what we know of other species found there as well as from the 

 accounts of trappers and furriers, the Alaskan coast beaver represents the maximum of 

 size* and the greatest richness and depth of fur coloration seen in American beavers. 



Specimens Examined. — Washington, Tacoma, 1 skeleton, 1 skull ; Lake Kichelos, 

 1 adult skin with skull, 3 young skins with skulls, 1 skeleton, 12 separate skulls ; Ore- 

 gon, Josephine county, 2 mounted specimens ; British Columbia, (?) Sumas^l skull ; f 

 Victoria, 1 skull. 



THE OTTERS OF NORTH AMERICA. 



As Mr. Oldfield Thomas has shown in his " Preliminary Notes on the Species of 

 Otter," published in 1889 in the Proceedings of the London Zoological Societg, the charac- 

 ters and nomenclature of the North American species are in great need of study. Dr. 

 Elliot Coues has elucidated with sufficient clearness, in his Monograph of the Mustelidce, 

 the habits and characters, and, to some extent, the synonymy of the typical Canadian 

 otter, Lutra hudsonica Lacepede. Its relations, however, to other nominal species, 

 especially to the otters of the Pacific slope of America from California northward, 

 demand investigation. 



As in the case of the American beaver, just treated, this paper has to do solely with 

 one central Canadian type and its subspecies found in America north of Mexican terri- 

 tory. 



Avoiding a general preliminary discussion of the rather perplexing questions of 

 nomenclature and geographic variations and distribution, I will present these in order in 

 the more formal and detailed synopses which follow. 



* Dr. Allen's measurements of Alaskan skulls, page 447 of the Monograph of N. A. Eodentia, do not indicate 

 unusual size, but as we have no precise locality given they may not have come from the coast region, and, therefore, do not 

 represent pacificus. 



t This skull (No. 5545, (J 1 , coll. of E. A. and O. Bangs) is the largest of which I find any record, measuring 154 by 

 108 mm. The next in size is No. 2146, U. S. Nat. Mus., from Nebraska, recorded by Baird. lis size was 147 by 105.5 

 mm. Unlike all my pacificus specimens, No. 5545 has very wide convex nasals. 



A. P. S. — VOL. XIX. 3 B. 



