190S.] 



MAMMALS. 



191 



frequent?; moist meadows amongst the mountains, and swims and 

 dives well, taking at once to the water when pursued/' ^' 



DeKay, perceiving the animal to be different from ' vifarius^ 

 redescribed it under the name A. ricliardsoni? 



Eight specimens taken b}" J. Alden Loring at points 10 and 25 

 miles west of Henry House, in October, 1896, have been recorded by 

 Bailey.^' The}^ were found inhabiting wet sphagnum swamps and 

 were trapped with difficulty. Xone of the specimens were fully adult, 

 but the largest one, a nearly full-grown female, measured : Total length 

 208, tail vertebrae 61. hind foot 28. These records from the Jasper 

 House region furnish all Ave know regarding its distribution within 

 the area noAv under review. 



Microtus (Pedomys) minor (Merriam). Least Upland Vole. 



Two specimens, taken by J. Alden Loring at Edmonton, in Sep- 

 tember, 1891, as well as one from Red Deer, Alberta, have been re- 

 corded by Bailey.'^ The Edmonton specimens were taken beneath 

 oat shocks in a dry upland field, where the animals were fotmd 

 occupying the same locations as J/, drummondi^ but Avere much 

 less common than that species. 



Fiber zibethicus spatulatus Osgood. Northwest Muskrat. 



In the spring of 1901 Ave found muskrats rather uncommon along 

 the Athabaska above Fort McMurray, but observed a number on the 

 lower part of the river May 17. The species Avas very common in 

 the delta of the Athabaska and Peace, and among the hills near Fort 

 ChipeAvyan Ave found it inhabiting the muskeg ponds as Avell as the 

 small streams Avhicli formed their outlets. We often observed the 

 animals along Rochcr River, and near the mouth of Peace River 

 found them frequenting the small landlocked ponds in dense spruce 

 woods, Avhere their well-Avorn trails betAveen the ponds Avere very 

 conspicuous in the deep mossy carpet Avliich coA^ered the ground. At 

 Fort Smith they Avere common in the marshes to the south of the post, 

 and on the loAver part of SlaA^e River and in its delta they were very 

 abundant. While crossing (Ireat Shivc Lake to Fort Rae I found 

 them inhabiting the islands and shore of the Northern Arm Avherever 

 marshy inlets occurred. Trout Rock, 25 miles south of Fort Rae, evi- 

 dently being a faA^orite locality. In the immediate vicinity of Fort 

 Rae, though the conditions Avere favorable, I found the animals very 

 rare, doubtless oAving to the presence of a large band of Indians then 

 congregated about the post. On our return trip the species Avas sev- 



" Fanna Boreali-Amerieana, I, ]). 120, 1820, 

 '^Z(...l. New York, I'art T, Mniumalia, p. 01, 1842. 



A. Fauna, No. 17, p. CO. 1000. 

 ^ N. A. Fauna, No. 17, p. 76, 1900. 



