182 



NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



parison. I have, however, ah-eady described the species from speci- 

 mens taken on the Hudson Bay Barren Grounds," which are prob- 

 ably fairly typical. Allen has recorded specimens of Lemmits from 

 Herschel Island.^ 



J. C. Ross states that this species was seen on the coast of Boothia 

 Felix in considerable numbers.'' 



Lemmus helvolus (Richardson). Tawny Lemming. 



This species is known only from Richardson's descriptions of a 

 specimen taken by Drummond in the Rocky Mountains, ostensibly 

 " in latitude 56° " — but in reality from near the headwaters of one of 

 the southern tributaries of Peace River, or between there and the 

 Jasper House region.'' His descriptions indicate an animal more 

 tawny than L. trimucronatiis^ but it does not appear that a direct 

 comparison was made. 



Dicrostonyx hudsonius alascensis Stone. Point Barrow Lemming. 



Since specimens from Fort Anderson and the mouth of the Mac- 

 kenzie agree essentially with topotypes of D. alascensis^ the follow- 

 ing notes are included under this name, though the affinities of the 

 animals inhabiting the islands of the Arctic Sea and the eastern part 

 of the Mackenzie region are unknown. 



Sabine recorded ^Lemmus Jiiulsonms ' as abundant on the islands 

 of the Polar Sea ; M'Dougall relates that lemmings [probably 

 DicTostonyQc~\ were seen in innumerable numbers on Melville Island, 

 in April and June, 1853, by Lieutenant Mecham.^ J. C. Ross stated 

 that a few were noted at Port Bowen in the winter of 1824-25 he 

 later recorded the animal as common at Felix Harbor, Boothia.'* 

 Back recorded lemmings which were undoubtedly of this genus from 

 the northern shore of Aylmer Lake.' SutherUind states that tracks 

 of lemmings were frequently observed about the south end of Corn- 

 wallis Island in the autumn of 1850.^' McCormick states that young- 

 were taken at Beechey Island in August, 1852.'' Armstrong noted 



« N. A. Fauna, No. 22, p. 55, 1902. 



^Bull. Am. Mils. Nat. Hist., XIII, p. 61 (in footnote), 1900. 

 ^Appendix to Ross's Second Voyage, p. XIV, 1835. 



^ Zool. Journ., Ill, p. 519, 1828. See also Fauna Boreali-Americana, I, p. 129, 

 1829. (Tliougli specimens referred to Lemmus helvolus have recently been re- 

 corded from Cassiar INIountains, Telegraph Creek, and other i)oints in northern 

 British Columbia, this region is so far from the actual type locality of helvolus 

 that the specific identity of the specimens must at present be considered merely 

 as assumptive.) 



^ Suppl. to Appendix Parry's First Voyage, p. clxxxviii, 1824. 

 ^ Voyage of Resolute to Arctic Regions, p. 298, 1857. 



0 Parry's Third Voyage, Appendix, p. 93, 1826. 

 '^Appendix to Ross's Second Voyage, p. xiii, 1835. 



^ Narrative Arctic Land Expedition to Great Fish River, p. 296, 1836. 



1 Journ. Voyage to Baffin Bay, I, p. 362, 1852. 

 '-^ Mccormick's Voyages, II, p. 91, 1884. 



