00 



MAMM.\LS IX THEIE RELATION TO SPOTTED FEVER. 



recently reduced their iiuml3er considerably. On one caught in an 

 orchard on the Densmore ranch, near Florence, in May, there were a 

 number of adult fever ticks. Xo other coyotes were taken. 



* BI^CK BEAR. 



( Crs u $ a m erica niis.) 



Black bears are rather common in the mountains on both sides of 

 tlie valley, and they occasionally wander down to the river. Trap- 

 per- say that the bear- are u>ually much infested with ticks, and I 

 found several dozen specimens of Det'macenfor vemistu-s on a bear 

 shot near TToodman on June 30. 



GRIZZLY BEAR. 

 ( rrsiis horrihiUs. i 



Grizzly bears are now rare, but occur in the higher parts of the 

 mountains on both sides of the valley. Xone were taken: but a> the 

 black bear frequently serves as a host of the tick, it is natural to sup- 

 pose that the grizzly does also. 



SKUNK. 



( Mepli itii h itdson ica.) 



Skunks occur in the valley, and. although I took none, records of 

 ihem were secured at Lo Lo. Stpvensville. and Corvalli>. Tn other 

 localities skunks frequently serve as hosts for certain species of ticks, 

 and it is probable that they occasionally do for fever ticks in the 

 Bitterroot. 



* BADGER. 

 (lacidra faxiis.) 



Badgers are plentiful in the valley throughout its length and 

 from the river up to at least 5.600 feet in the mountains on both 

 .side-. Only one specimen was taken — near- Florence on April 5 — 

 and on it was found one dead adult male Bennacerdor venustus. 



OTTER. 



( Lutra rnnadrn is . ^ 



A few otters wander along the Bitterroot River and some of its 

 principal tributaries, but they are rarely taken. 



* WEASEL. 



iPutorius arizonensis.) 



Weasels occur in the valley but are not common. In the moun- 

 tain-, they are said to be abundant. On a weasel shot in a rock 

 >lide inhabited by conie^ on Bass Creek June 15 were fotmd four 

 adult ticks of the genus Ixodes. 



[Cir. 82] 



