12 
FOREST AND STREAM 
July 6, 1912 
zoologists. Mr. Raven, who will carry out the 
field work, is a young and enthusiastic naturalist 
with considerable experience. He hopes to pro¬ 
cure a quantity of interesting material, includ¬ 
ing the characteristic mammals of the country, 
such as orangs, deer, wild pigs, squirrels and 
smaller rodents with possibly other native ani¬ 
mals. It was Mr. Raven’s intention to proceed 
by way of Singapore, Strait Settlements, from 
whence he sails directly to Batavia, Java, where 
he will confer with the Dutch authorities and 
the American consul in regard to his creden¬ 
tials, after which he will sail for Samarinda, 
Borneo. At Samarinda he hopes to secure a 
native houseboat and be towed up the Mahakan 
or Koti River by one of the small trading 
steamers which follow the streams for nearly 
200 miles. Arriving at the end of the course, he 
will float down in the houseboat, stopping when¬ 
ever and wherever he desires to make his col¬ 
lections. The trip will probably take up the 
greater part of the year, and if successful will 
provide much scientific information and many 
extremely interesting specimens for the National 
Museum. 
The third expedition to be sent out during 
the present year by the Government was to make 
a biological survey of the Panama Canal Zone 
and the isthmus. Four scientific representatives 
of the Government, who spent a part of last 
year on a similar expedition on the isthmus, 
have sailed for the zone, and include E. .A. 
Goldman, of the U. S. Biological Survey; Prof. 
S. E. Meek, of the Field Museum of Chicago; 
Prof. S. M. Hildebrand, of the U. S. Bureau 
of Fisheries, and Prof. C. Dwight Marsh, of 
the Bureau of Plant Industry of the Department 
of Agriculture. The scientists were greatly aided 
in their work last year by the Canal Commission, 
and similar assistance will be extended to them 
during the present expedition. In the early part 
of 1911, while engaged in the Smithsonian Bio¬ 
logical Survey of the Canal Zone, and the adja¬ 
cent parts of Panama, Prof. Goldman made a 
collection of 368 mammals. This collection rep¬ 
resenting between forty and fifty genera includes 
twelve new species and sub-species. Nine of the 
new forms are from the Canal Zone, and the 
others were collected by the author when he 
was on a trip to the mountains near the head¬ 
waters of the Chagres River, Panama. The new 
animals include two opossums from near Gatun, 
two squirrels, of which one is known as a pigmy 
squirrel; four rice rats, a yoke tooth rat, which 
was found to be one of the most abundant rats 
in the grassy clearings of the Canal Zone; three 
spiny rats, including one known as an octodont, 
and named after Colonel Goethals, chairman of 
the Canal Commission. Among the interesting 
birds collected by Prof. Goldman are two new 
species of nun birds. These birds of the genus 
Monasa are so-called from the somber black 
or slaty plumage, which, however, is somewhat 
relieved by the bright red or yellow bill, and in 
some cases white feathers at the bend of the 
wing and about the bill. These specimens were 
collected on the base of Cerro Azul, northwest 
of Chepo. Only single specimens of the two 
new forms were obtained; in fact, none others 
were seen during the entire season in the Canal 
Zone and adjacent territory. One of the new 
forms, Goldman’s nun bird, is named after the 
collector, while the other, Cerro Azul nun bird, 
gets its name from the location of discovery. 
The specimens described are deposited in the 
national museum for scientific study. 
A further study of the mammals collected 
by the Smithsonian party that accompanied the 
Alpine Club of Canada in the Jasper Park and 
Mount Robson region of the Canadian Rockies 
last summer has resulted in the discovery of 
several previous unrecognized forms. The hoary 
marmot and the caribou from the vicinity of 
Moose Pass prove to be new species. In con¬ 
nection with the identification of the caribou, a 
thorough study of the specimens in the United 
States National Museum collections showed the 
necessity of recognizing additional forms of this 
interesting game mammal. A new species from 
the barren grounds of the Arctic coast of Alaska 
and one from Kamtchatka are named. The type 
specimen of the Rocky Mountain caribou came 
from the head of the Moose Pass branch of 
Smoky River, Alberta, and although its horns 
are not especially large, the measurements of 
H ERE is an item clipped from this morning’s 
News, calculated to make the ordinary 
angler restless when business compels him 
to stick to his desk and pretend that his head is 
not moidered with the insistence of the call of 
the wild that latterly has come between him and 
his work, and his food and his night’s rest: 
“Mr. G. Morris and Mr. P. Morrissey, who 
were trouting at the nine mile post, returned to 
town by last night’s train, with a catch of 
more than twenty dozen. The ponds in the 
yicinity are overflown, the water in places being 
several feet above the usual height.” 
The evening papers recently reported that 
salmon and sea trout are running in myriads in 
some of the Western rivers. The probabilities 
are that this will be the most successful season 
ever, as the weather conditions are more favor¬ 
able than for many years, and the streams will 
be better protected than ever before. 
The Fish and Game Commission has about 
completed the wardening of nearly ninety rivers 
for this season, thus continuing the protection 
given the last few years, and without doubt the 
results will show that of late there has been an 
increase in the number and size of fish in vari¬ 
ous streams. 
American anglers will be glad to learn that 
a daily service is now run between this island 
and Sydney. This is a great boon to sportsmen, 
as it is easy to make a start for Newfound¬ 
land on any day of the week, with the surety of 
getting direct to the island without any vexatious 
delay at any point. Through tickets may be had 
from New York, Boston or any of the principal 
American cities. 
The new Bruce makes alternate trips with 
the S. S. Invermore, and the Reid Newfound¬ 
land Company are making every effort to cater 
the animal itself excel all authentic measure¬ 
ments of caribou on record. 
Two new species of birds were discovered, 
both being of the sparrow family, one a song- 
sparrow and the other a fox sparrow. A new 
chipmunk, a mantled ground squirrel and two 
bats were also secured. The chipmunk is a new 
species and comes from the region along the 
boundary line between British Columbia and 
Alberta, from Yellowhead Pass northward. The 
ground squirrel is a beautifully marked and 
highly colored form of the genus, and was found 
living in the Alpine meadows and rocks of the 
snow-covered region above the timber line. The 
head and shoulders are rich and glossy Mars 
brown, and the sides are marked by conspicuous 
lateral stripes. While the two new .species of 
bats resemble some well known forms exter¬ 
nally, they are distinct and dist'nguishable by the 
shape of the skull. One of them most resem¬ 
bles a species only known in Mexico. 
to the comfort of American sportsmen, so that 
visitors may rely on it that the service will be 
first class in every particular. 
Besides the rivers usually protected there 
will be several other good rivers in Newfound¬ 
land and Labrador added to the list this season. 
We have fishes and fishing here on this island 
enough to accommodate 100 per cent, more 
visitors that we are likely to get for many years, 
but there are anglers who like to tread the un¬ 
trodden ways, and for such the Labrador rivers 
will be a great boon. 
Parenthetically it may be mentioned that 
several applications have been made to the Fish 
and Game Commission for leases of rivers on 
this island and Labrador, but up to the present 
public opinion is strongly against creating 
monopoly on any stream. Our boast hereto¬ 
fore has been that we offer the best fishing in 
the world, free and unrestricted, to any visitor 
who comes and pays a nominal price for a license 
to fish. 
Thus it is that the rivers of this island and 
Labrador are yet free to all-comers, and we rely 
largely on the honor of visiting sportsmen that 
the privileges afforded be not abused. Visiting- 
anglers will not be hampered by any vexatious 
restrictions, but will have the utmost liberty to 
fish when and where they like. 
Although the Newfoundland streams are 
noted for their great number in proportion to 
the size of the island, and also for the variety 
of fishing which they so abundantly furnish, 
many anglers are turning their eyes Labrador- 
ward, influenced by recent reports of the fish¬ 
ing in that region. 
There are many rivers in which a net fishery 
was conducted for years that will be protected 
henceforth and will yield famous fishing for rod 
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Newfoundland Notes 
By W. J. CARROLL 
