lyos.] 



MAMMALS. 



207 



1850, near Xelson Head, the southern extremity of Baring Land." 

 One was killed on Prince Albert Land near Princess Royal Islands, 

 March 22, 1851 ; ^ the species was common also on Baring Land near 

 the same place on ^lay 5.'^ He also records a large number seen at 

 Mercy Bay, Banks Land, October 7, 1851 ; and his tabular list of 

 game secured at that place shows that hares were killed during every 

 month between October, 1851, and April, 1853/ Arctic hares, prob- 

 ably of this species, were found by Rae to be common on WoUaston 

 Land near Douglas Island in May, 1851.'^ 



Lepus arcticus canus Preble. Keewatin Arctic Hare. 



The Arctic hares of the mainland of this region, so far as known, 

 are referable to L. a. canus, described from the Barren Grounds on the 

 west coast of Hudson Bay, 75 miles north of Fort Churchill. A skin 

 in summer pelage in the National Museum, said to be from Atha- 

 baska (with no definite locality, but probably from the Barren 

 Grounds northeast of Athabaska Lake), and one or two skulls from 

 near (probably northeast of) Fort Rae, were compared with my 

 specimens of L. a. canus Avhen it was described, and found to belong to 

 the same form. Some of these specimens were briefly referred to by 

 Rhoads in 1896 as probably belonging to an undescribed species, but 

 lack of material prevented him from characterizing it.'' A young 

 ; pecimen in the National Museum, taken in June, 1853, during the 

 voyage of the Enteiyrise, and, therefore, from Cambridge Bay, Vic- 

 toria Land, is apparently referable to L. a. canus Pending further 

 information, therefore, it seems safe to regard the published notes on 

 Arctic hares from the mainland, at least, as referring to L. a. caunx. 



King observed the species near the outlet of Lake McDougall, Back 

 River, in the summer of 1834.'^ Simpson noted it at Fort Confidence 

 in the winter of 1837-38.' Richardson describes a winter specimen 

 from Great Bear Lake, and records the occurrence of the animal near 

 Cape Parry.' Allen recorded specimens from Fort Rae, Fort Ander- 

 son, and Great Bear Lake.'-^ AVarburton Pike noted the species on the 

 upper part of Coppermine River to the eastward of Point Lake in 

 September, 1880.' James MacKinlay. who accompanied Pike to the 



"Narrative I )is((i\ cry Northwest Passage, p. 210, 1857. 

 ^ Il>id., I). o<»4. l ^r.T. 



Ibid., 11. :n(;. is.-i. 



II. id.. 474. ].s."7. 



Ibid., p. 601, 18r)7. 

 ^ Journ. Roy. Geog. Soc, XXII, p. 7.5, 18.52. 

 •^/I'roc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., ISDC, p. .3.54. 



Narrative Journey to Arctic Ocean, I, p. .302, 1836. 

 ^' Narrative Discoveries on North Coast of America, p. 216, 1843. 

 ^' Fauna Boreali-Americana, I, p. 222, ]829. 

 ^ Monographs N. A. Rodentia, pp. 294, 295, 1877. 

 ^ Barren Ground of Northern Canada, p. 63, 1892, 



