104 
Seemed no reason why jumbled rocks of Chitina moraine should not 
have supported pikas, but not one could be found. Barnard glacier 
equally untenanted. Not more than a dozen all told seen and no “hay- 
piles” found anywhere. 
One of wonders of these 'hay-makers’ their large and populous fleas 
that literally swarmed about their necks and throats, but deserted as soon 
as host grew cold after death. 
Only one call ever heard from pika here, as elsewhere; sharp, grating 
mew. 
A female taken June 14 carried two fairly large embryos — about 40 
mm. 
Specimens: Three. 
June 1, No. 5634, d% Chitina River glacier, 195-16-27. 
June 14, No. 5639, d, Chitina river. Altitude, 4,000 feet, 190-15-27. 
June 14, No. 5440, 9 , Chitina river. Altitude, 4,000 feet, 188-15-27. 
14. Lepus americanus macfarlani Merriam Mackenzie Varying 
Hare 
Winter of 1924-1925 dying-off year for rabbits of Copper river, Nizina, 
and lower Chitina. Dead began to appear in woods, May 8, along railway 
about 50 miles below Chitina Station; most numerous immediately above 
this point, but still dead littering brown woods at McCarthy and Kenni- 
cott. Dead rabbits later found on Nizina, Young creek, and lower Chitina, 
but not in upper part of latter valley. This area of stricken bunnies over 
100 miles in length, but its breadth could not be determined, though prob- 
ably it extended up all tributary streams of the Copper and Nizina. A 
count from coach window on one side of train revealed as many as fourteen 
to mile in a 20-yard strip of visibility — or 1,232 dead to square mile. Usu- 
ally counts ran less than half this number. Yet all rabbits did not die, as 
during day twelve seen alive. These now in brownish pelage; stricken had 
all perished in white coat of winter. 
Inquiries of residents brought many explanations of the strange 
“disease,” these varying from internal tumors to actual starvation. Many 
local areas where rabbit food in form of shrubbery eaten, so bare that star- 
vation seemed most logical explanation, and a certainty that where shrub- 
bery most devastated, there were most dead. In places all saplings to 
size of a man’s thumb mown as with a brush-scythe, and all fallen green 
trees, even spruces, stripped of leaves, twigs, and bark. 
Few dead rabbits found fresh enough for dissection. One found 
lying on snow at Young creek in fair condition. That blood and other 
matter had run from nose seemed to indicate internal trouble and when 
head was removed, throat appeared to be a mass of pus. 
From Bryson’s cabin upward on the Chitina, rabbits fairly numerous, 
in good condition, and later multiplied normally. Ranged from river- 
level to timber-line, though much commoner at lower elevation. 
A note in diary, June 9, records: “Rabbits, both male and female, 
made up today show strange moult. A few long, white hairs still showing— 
the remnant of the winter coat. The main body of the present coat is 
quite dark, but a blackish and grey mixture shows in patches under this. 
The underparts are whitish.” 
Female shot June 9 had been nursing a family, doubtless a second 
litter. On June 30, young noted “as large as two fists.” 
