NATURAL HISTORY. 



A GRACEFUL RECOGNITION. 



Dr. J. A. Allen, curator of mammals, 

 American Museum of Natural History, 

 New York, has lately issued a bulletin, de- 

 scribing certain species of mammals col- 

 lected and sent to the Museum by Mr. A. 

 J. Stone, who is in charge of Recreation's 

 Northland exploring expedition. Dr. Allen 

 says, in his introduction to this report: 



The collection of mammals forming the 

 basis of the present paper is one of unusual 

 interest; although the number of speci- 

 mens and species represented is small, sev- 

 eral of the species are new to science, and 

 all are new to the Museum collection. They 

 were collected in the Dease lake region and 

 on the extreme headwaters of the Liard 

 river, by Air. A. J. Stone, of the Recrea- 

 tion Northland Expedition. 



Mr. Stone set out on this expedition in 

 June. 1897, with the intention of spending 

 3 years or more in exploring the lesser 

 known parts of the Northwest Territory 

 and Alaska. The present collection, made 

 in 1897, is the first installment that has 

 reached the Museum, but other important 

 collections are either on the way or await 

 opportunity for shipment. 



The expedition was primarily organized 

 under the auspices of Recreation, but 

 later Mr. James M. Constable, one of the 

 Trustees and the First Vice-President of 

 this Museum, has contributed, in the inter- 

 est of this Institution, very liberally in aid 

 of Mr. Stone's work, in return for which 

 Mr. Stone is to collect specimens of the 

 larger mammals of the regions visited, and 

 incidentally as many of the smaller species 

 as circumstances will permit. The results 

 of Mr. Stone's expedition will thus doubt- 

 less prove of great importance to this 

 Museum. 



The measurements (in millimetres) 

 given are those made by the collector from 

 fresh specimens, unless otherwise stated. 



Ovis stonei, Allen. Stone's Mountain 

 Sheep; Black Sheep. — Mr. Stone has sent 

 3 additional examples of this fine sheep, 

 an adult female, a yearling male, and a 

 kid, 2 of which have been mounted, mak- 

 ing a series of 5 now on exhibition, show- 

 ing both sexes and young of different ages. 



In his report of progress, dated June 30, 

 1898, he gives the following important in- 

 formation respecting the range of this ani- 

 mal. He writes: " I traced the range of 

 Ovis stonei or Black Sheep throughout all 

 the mountainous country of the headwaters 

 of the Stickeen and South to the head- 

 waters of the Nass, but could obtain no re- 

 liable information of their occurrence 

 farther South in this longitude. Thev are 



found throughout the Cassiar mountains, 

 which extend North to 61 degrees North 

 latitude and West to 134 degrees West lon- 

 gitude. How much farther West they may 

 be found I have been unable to determine ; 

 nor could I ascertain whether their range 

 extends from the Cassiar mountains into 

 the Rocky mountains to the North of Fran- 

 cis and Liard rivers. But the best informa- 

 tion obtained led me to believe that it does 

 not. They are found in the Rocky moun- 

 tains to the South as far as the headwaters 

 of the Nelson and Peace rivers, in latitude 

 56 degrees. But I proved conclusively that 

 in the main range of the Rocky mountains 

 very few of them are found North of the 

 Liard river. Where this river sweeps South 

 through the Rocky mountains to Hell's 

 Gate, a few of these animals are found as 

 far North as Beaver river, a tributary of the 

 Liard. None, however, are found North 

 of this, and I am thoroughly convinced that 

 this is the only place where these animals 

 may be found North of the Liard river. 



" I find that in the Cassiar mountains and 

 in the Rocky mountains they everywhere 

 range well above timber line, as they do in 

 the mountains of the Stickeen, the Cheon- 

 nees, and Etsezas. 



" Directly to the North of the Beaver 

 river, and North of the Liard river below 

 the confluence of the Beaver, we first meet 

 with Ovis dalli." 



JUSTICE FOR THE RED. 



OBSERVER. 



With pleasure I accept your invitation 

 to say a word on the other side of the red 

 squirrel question. Indeed, it seems to me 

 it is time for every friend of the little fellow 

 to bestir himself in his favor, lest public 

 indignation should be aroused to the point 

 of exterminating the whole species. For 

 myself, I can hope to do little else than set 

 the ball of reaction rolling, trusting that 

 others of greater influence and ability will 

 fall into line and keep it in motion. 



The main charges against the alleged 

 criminal seem to be (1) tyranny toward the 

 gray, and (2) robbing birds' nests of their 

 eggs and young. With regard to the first; 

 I have never witnessed anything of the sort, 

 and what with gunning, fishing and general 

 rambling about, I have spent about as much 

 time in the woods as anyone during the 

 past 20 years. I have often lain for hours 

 in woods where both varieties were abun-. 

 dant, watching them at their play and gath- 

 ering nuts, and so far as I could see each 

 went its separate way, quite indifferent to 

 the proximity of the other. No hint of 



396 



