By following the animal's footprints those hidden stores can be recovered; but in general quite uneatable, as the wolverine to protect its secret hoards from the attacks of other beasts of prey besprinkles all his larder plentifully with his urine, which has a strong and most disagreeable odour, and proves a good preserva. tion in most cases. But the desire for accumulating property seems so deeply implanted by nature in this animal, that like tame ravens, it does not appear to care much what it steals so that it can exercise its favourite propensity to commit mischief. An instance occurred within my own knowledge in which a hunter and his family having left their lodge unguarded during their absence, on their return found it completely gutted, the walls were there, but nothing else. Blankets, guns, kettles, axes, cans, knives and all the other paraphernalia of a trapper's tent had vanished, and the tracks left by the beast shewed who had been the thief. The family set to work and by carefully following up all his paths recovered, with some trifling exceptions, the whole of the lost property. The damage which it does to a trapping road is very great, indeed, if the animal cannot be killed it is as well to abandon it as he will not only break the traps and eat the bait or animals caught, but also out of sheer malice will carry away the sticks and hide them at some distance. To kill or catch it is very difficult. An old stager is a regular bug-bear to the Indians. Master," said one to me in his own language, "I cant hunt furs, the wolverine eats the martins and baits, and smashes my traps, I put a steel trap for him, he got in, but released himself by screwing off the nuts confining the spring with his teeth. I set a gun, he cut the cord attached to the trigger, ate the bait, and broke the stock, what shall I do?" As the infallible strychnia had not then made its appearance in these parts, I could offer him neither advice nor assistance, and but little consolation.

66

Sub-family.-LUtrinÆ.

Mustelida with the upper posterior tubercular molar large, quadrate. The number of molars the same in each jaw. Feet short, palmated. The typical otters bear a strong resemblance to the minks, the last mentioned group of the weasels, although the skull and teeth approximate much more nearly to the Melina. The body is elongated, the feet short, the toes palmated. The species are generally of large size and all more or less aquatic.

The group of the Otter embraces three principal genera; Lutra,

Pterura, Enhydris. The former again have been subdivided into those with claws well developed, and those with very rudimentary ones or none at all. Pterura is a distinct Genus, having the tail dilated laterally on either side. "Of Lutra N. America probably possesses two species, of Enhydris one." BAIRD.

LUTRA CANADENSIS.-American Otter.

"Sp. ch. length about 4 feet muzzle longer than wide, sending down a naked point along the median line of the upper lips anteriorly. Under surfaces of the feet so covered with hair towards the circumference as completely to isolate the naked pads of the tips. A hairy strip extending forward from beneath the carpus on the palm. Color above, liver brown barely lighter beneath, inferior surface and sides of head dirty whitish." BAIRD.

In appearance the otter is a magnified mink. Its walk, fur, and color bear strong similitudes to those of the latter animal, and the lightening of the tints of the pelage in old age is the same in both. Its fur is short and thick, the under fur being of a silvery white shade, slightly waved and silky, and of similar texture to that of the beaver but not so long. The color of the overlying hairs varies from a rich and glossy brownish black to a a dark chesnut. In summer the color is a rusty brown, and the fur is shorter and thinner. The habits of the otter are aquatic. From the shortness of its legs its motions on shore are not so quick as when in the water and as its food is principally fish, it resides in winter near some lake or river where it keeps a hole open in the ice all the season. During this period of the year its migrations on land are toilsome and it leaves a deep furrow or path in the snow, which when seen by the trapper soon after the animal has passed, invariably leads to the distruction of the animal. If a trap be set on this road the otter is nearly certain to be caught, as it has a strong objection to opening new paths through the deep snow. In firing at an otter in the water care must be taken not to shoot it in an immediately vital part as if death ensue instantaneously the body will sink like a stone. Whether the Lutra Californica be found in this district, or whether that animal be only a variety of the species under consideration I cannot say: but an examination of a greater number of specimens will, in time, determine the matter.

Family.-URSIDE.

"Fam. Ch. Toes distinctly separated, five on each foot; walk plantigrade; coccum wanting. The sectorial tooth and the molars behind them tuberculated.

URSUS.-Linn.

Gen. Ch. Body thick, clumsy, and large. Feet entirely plantigrade; soles naked; nails long; tail very short; head very broad. Dentition. incisors: caniues : premolars : molars 1:3 42." BAIRD.

=

Of this sub-family those found in this district will probably be: 1. Ursus Americanus. 2. Ursus Horribilis. 3. Ursus Maritimus, and 4. Ursus Arctos or Barren Ground Bear.

Of the identity of the second and fourth of these, I am not by any means certain, and one at least, if not both, will probably be found to be an unnamed if not an undescribed species.

ARTICLE III.-Addenda to the Natural History of the Valley of the River Rouge. By W. S. M. D'Urban.

(See pages 81-99 Vol. V.)

LEPIDOPTERA.

The names and descriptions of the following species were not received from Mr. Francis Walker in time for publication in their proper places, in the second part of the "Natural History of the River Rouge," contained in the April number of this Magazine,

Sphingina. Family, Egeriidæ, Steph.

Thyris vitrina, Boisd. Bevin's Lake, Montcalm, 5th July.

Bombycina. Family, Liparidæ, Walker.

Dasychira clandestina, Walker, M. S. S., n. sp. Bevin's Lake, Montcalm, 7th July.

"Mas. Cinerea, nigroraria, densè pilosa; antennæ breves, latè pecti, natæ; pedes breves, pilosissimi; alæ nigro nebulosa, lineis quatuor denis undulatis nigris apud costam dilatatis."

"Male. Cinereous, varied with black, thickly pilose. Antennæ short, broadly pectinated. Legs short, very pilose. Wings partly shaded with black, with four irregular undulating black lines which are dilated on the costa of the forewings; under side paler, with the lines obsolete except by the costa. Length of the body 6 lines, of the wings 14 lines." Walker, M.S.S.

Audela. N. G. Walker, M.S.S.

Mas. Corpus crassum, pilosissimum. Proboscis brevis, tenuis. Palpi breves, graciles, obliquè ascendentes; articulus 3us longi-conicus, 2i dimidio brevior. Antennæ subpectinatæ, ramis subclavatis. Abdomen depressum, apice quadratum, alas posticas paullo superans. Pedes robusti, pilosissimi, calcaribus breviusculis. Alæ validæ ; anticæ apice subrotundatæ, margine exteriore vix convexo sat obliquo."

"Male. Body thick, very pilose. Proboscis short, feeble. Palpi short, slender, obliquely ascending; third joint elongate-conical, less than half the length of the second. Antennæ slightly pectinated; branches subclavate. Abdomen depressed, quadrate at the tip, extending a little beyond the hind wings. Legs stout, very pilose; spurs rather short. Wings stout, moderately broad. Forewings somewhat rounded at the tips; costa straight; exterior border hardly convex, rather oblique; interior angle not prominent." Audela acronyctoides, Walker, M.S.S., n. sp. Township of Montcalm,

June.

"Mas. Albida, nigro-varia; antennæ fulvæ; abdomen nigricans, segmentis albido marginatis; alæ anticæ nigricantes, fasciis tribus albidis, la lata diffusa informis, 2a 3a que angustis angulosis subparallelis, liturâ discali obliquâ sublunatâ nigro marginatâ ; postica pallidè cinereæ, trilineatæ."

"Male. Whitish, mingled with black. Antennæ tawny. Abdomen blackish; hind borders of the segments whitish. Legs mostly black; tarsi with white bands. Forewings blackish with three whitish bands, first band broad, diffuse, very irregular; second and third slender, zigzag, nearly parallel to each other; discal mark oblique, sublunate, black-bordered; fringe blackish, with white streaks opposite the veins. Hindwings pale cinereous; discal mark, one interior and two diffuse undulating exterior lines, dark cinereous: marginal line black. Length of the body 9 lines; of the wings 18 lines." Walker, M.S.S.

Family, Notodontidæ, Steph.

Heterocampa semiplaga, Walker, M.S.S., n. sp. Common, Township of Montcalm, June.

"Mas et Fam. Cinerea, densè pilosa, olivaceo subtincta; palpí obliquè ascendentes; thorax posticè et abdomen basi nigra; alæ nigro nebulosæ, lineis tribus nigris denticulatis indistinctis, linea marginali nigra, fimbria nigro punctata; anticæ linea submarginali e guttis nigris."

"Male and Female. Cinereous, thickly pilose, with a slight olivegreen tinge, whitish cinereous beneath. Palpi distinct, obliquely ascending, not extending beyond the frontal tuft. Thorax by the hind border and abdomen at the base black. Wings partly clouded with black, adorned with three indistinct irregular denticulated black lines; marginal line black; fringe with black points. Fore

wings somewhat rounded at the tips, with a submarginal line of black dots. Male. Antennæ tawny, moderately pectinated to threefourths of the length. Female. Antennæ simple. Length of the body 9 lines; of the wings 20 lines. Walker, M.S.S.

Noctuina.-Family, Bryophilidæ, Guén.

Bryophila? spectans, Walker, M.S.S., n. sp. Township of Montcalm, June.

"Mas. Alba, nigro varia; palpi lanceolati, caput superantes, nigro fasciati; abdomen cinereum, segmentis albo marginatis; alæ anticæ lineis duabus nigris duplicatis valdè dentatis, 2a valdè flexa, orbiculari et reniformi e annulis duabus magnis incompletis nigris, guttis marginalibus nigris; posticæ litura discali lineaque dentata undulata nigricantibus."

"Male. White, varied above with black. Palpi lanceolate, extending somewhat beyond the head; second joint with a black band. Abdomen cinereous, white at the tip and on the hind border of each segment. Tarsi with black rings. Forewings with two pairs of very dentated black lines, of which the outer pair is much bent, orbicular and reniform marks forming two large incomplete black ringlets, of which the outer one has the usual form; marginal dots black. Hindwings above and below, and forewings below, with a discal mark and an undulatiug dentate line blackish. Length of the body 5 lines; of the wings 14 lines." Walker, M.S.S.

Family, Bombycoidæ, Guén.

Microcelia? retardata, Walker, M.S.S., n. sp. Locality not recorded. "Mas. Pallide cinerea; palpi obliquè ascendentes, nigro fasciati, articulo, 30 longiconico; antennæ breviusculæ ; alæ anticæ lineis, tribus dentatis nigris, linea la basali, 2a 3a que duplicatis, 3a flexa orbiculari et reniformi nigricante notatis et marginatis, fimbria nigro punctata; posticæ litura discali lineaque exteriore undulata nigricantibus."

"Male. Pale cinereous. Palpi obliquely ascending, not rising higher than the vertex; second joint with a broad black band; third elongate-conical less than half the length of the second. Antennæ rather short. Abdomen not extending beyond the hindwings. Forewings with five dentated black lines, of which one is basal, and the other four form two pairs which are remote from each other, the outer pair much bent; orbicular and reniform marks large, of the usual form, with blackish disks and black borders; fringe with black points; underside and hind wings with a discal mark and an undulating exterior line blackish, these are most distinct on the under side of the hind wings. Length of the body 41 lines; of the wings 14 lines." Walker, M.S.S.

Family, Noctuidæ, Guén.

Agrotis spissa? Guén. Hamilton's Farm, August.