1908.] 



MAMMALS. 



161 



On September 28. 1895. during Loring's trip to western Alberta, 

 several were seen in the mountains west of Henry House, and a young 

 sjoecimen was taken. At this time there had been a heavy fall of 

 snow, but most of it had melted. In 1896 Loring found the species 

 common at and above the timber line near his camp 15 miles south of 

 Henry House in July, and observed several about one-quarter grown 

 about the first of the month. In many places the entrances to their 

 holes were in snowdrifts, and the animals could be seen seated there 

 on sunny days. A well-grown female was taken on July 7. It meas- 

 ured: 616. 202. 85. In the late summer and early autumn, he re- 

 ported the species common at and above timber line in the high 

 mountains between Jasper House and Smoky Eiver. When he 

 visited the mountains 25 miles west of Henry House about the mid- 

 dle of October, the animals had hibernated, but he saw many skulls 

 about an Indian camp, and judged that the species was common 

 there. 



John Firth. Hudson's Bay officer in charge of Fort McPherson, 

 who has spent many years in that region, informed 'me that this 

 species, which he accurately described, occurs in the mountains about 

 the headwaters of the Porcupine. From other sources I learned 

 that it is a well-known inhabitant of the mountains about Fort Liard. 



Citellus (Colobotis) parryi (Richardson). Hudson Bay Spermophile. 



(iround squirrels inhabit the entire area of the Barren Grounds 

 across the northern part of the region now under review (see PL 

 XX). and are usually ainuidant wherever found. In the absence 

 of specimens it is impossiljle to draw a definite line between the habi- 

 tats of C . parryi and of l-ennicotti, which is the form found about 

 the mouth of the ^lackenzie, and Avith which iJCirryi undoubtedly 

 intergrades. It behig desirable, liowever. to separate the records, 

 I have taken the watershed between the Coppermine and Great Bear 

 Lake as the dividing line, though this boundary is purely arbitrary 

 and subject to correction. 



The species was first recorded from the region in Franklin's nar- 

 rative of his first northern journey, under the name Arctomys rich- 

 arclsoni, as occurring near Gordon Bay, Bathurst Inlet." Richard- 

 son mentions seeing many of the animals on the lower Coppermine in 

 August, 1826 : later he states that the species abounded in the vicin- 

 ity of Fort Enterprise.^ Back mentions the species as occurring 

 near the northern end of Artillery Lake, northeast of Fort Reliance : ^ 



" Narrative Jonrney to Polar Sea, p. 378, 1823. 



^ Narrative Second Expedition to Polar Sea, p. 271, 1828. 



Fauna Boreali-Americana, I, p, 158, 1829. 

 ^ Narrative Arctic Land Expedition to Great Fisli River, p. 128, 1836. 



44131— No. 27—08 11 



