DICE — MAMMALS OF ALASKA 
27 
started work about 6 p.m., but toward June 15 they did not come out till nearly 
11. In early May they continued operations till about 7 a.m., but in the longer 
days of June they were not often seen after 5. 
Each individual as he came out of the house in the evening seemed to spend a 
few minutes swimming about, at intervals slapping his tail and diving. In these 
dives the animal remained down only an instant and then immediately reappeared 
and continued swimming. In such cases the other beavers showed no alarm 
at the splashing. However, they can dive silently and when at work they 
do not slap with the tail. When really alarmed a beaver dives with a loud 
slap and remains down a long time. Sometimes when one beaver became scared 
and dived with a resounding flap of his tail another not far distant continued 
unconcernedly eating or working, though usually the danger was noticed by 
all. This indicates that the splash is not always an alarm-signal. 
Sticks were usually held in the mouth while being carried up on the house or 
dam, and the fore feet were often used to help balance or hold the material. 
Sometimes two or more small pieces were carried at one time. In placing a 
stick one end was inserted among the material already in place and the stick 
pushed in as far as possible by sidewise pushes of the animaks head. It was a 
frequent habit for the animal to walk on the hind legs and tail when carrying 
material. Several individuals were noted at different times in shallow places 
near the banks feeding on sticks with green bark. The fore feet were used to 
manipulate the stick and to hold the pieces of bark cut off by the incisors. The 
stick was continually turned on its axis, and as the bark was removed the stick 
was pushed endwise through the mouth, so that the portion of stick gone over was 
completely stripped of its bark. 
Lepus americanus macfarlani Merriam. Macfarlane Snowshoe Hare. — Rec- 
ords were secured from Fairbanks, Tanana, Cosna River, and along the Kuskok- 
wim from the head of the North Fork down as far as the East Fork. It was 
abundant in 1911 and 1912 in the willows, both along the streams and at higher 
elevations, and in white spruce-paper birch forest. A few were found also in black 
spruce forest. In summer it plays in the evenings and mornings on the river- 
bars. In this region as elsewhere in its range it has years of abundance succeeded 
by years of scarcity. In the winter of 1911-1912 the hares were approaching their 
maximum abundance. 
These hares feed mostly on the bark and small twigs of willow and paper birch, 
but in winter hunger sometimes drives them to eat alder and spruce. On willow- 
bars along the rivers in winter they often cut down the young willows almost to 
the surface of the snow, eating stems up to three-eighths of an inch in diameter. 
Sometimes they nibble the moss and snow along the sled trails, apparently to 
secure the salt. Most of their foraging is done at night or in twilight, and it is 
seldom that they aye seen moving about in the daytime. In winter they some- 
times make their forms under branches laden with snow, but they apparently 
never burrow into the snow. They usually use an uncovered form which is only 
partly protected on the sides. 
About September 1, 1911, at Tanana some of the hares had started to turn 
white, beginning on the feet and ears. They were all changed by the last of 
October, though many were fully white long before that time. In the spring 
of 1912 at the head of the North Fork of the Kuskokwim they started to change 
