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Show 812 APPENDIX C.- MAMMALS. It ferrets out the caches of provisions and skins, and devours their contents greedily, its enormous strength being such as to enable it to remove almost every weight which may be placed upon the articles concealed. It destroys the traps set for other animals, and tears to pieces their contents. Indeed, invthe Northern United States, this animal is dreaded more than the panther or bear, being invested with fabulous attributes of ferocity and danger. This is, to a much less degree, the case in the Rocky Mountains ; but everywhere the wolverene is attacked with caution. 6. FIBER ZIBETHICUS, L.- Muskrat. Fiber ribethicus, And. & Bach. Quid. L 108, pL 18. The muskrat abounds over the greater part of the American continent, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Its northern and southern limits are not well ascertained: those assigned to it by Audubon and Bachman are lat. 69° to lat. 30°. 7. SPERMOPHILUS 13- LIKEATUS, Mitchill. Sewrua lZ- lineatw, Mitohffl'g Medical Repository for 1821. Spermophilw hoodi, Sabine. 8. tridecem- lmeatui, And. & Baoh. I. 224, pL 89. The little prairie squirrel, so common in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota, would seem to have a very extensive range, in being found by the expedition on the Platte beyond Fort Laramie. The specimen is, however, immature, and it is quite possible that further investigation may show this to be a species distinct from the St. Peter's specimen described by Dr. Mitchill. 8. Ovis MONTANA, Desm.- Bighorn. ( hit monUma. Rich. F. B. A, I. p. 271;- And. & Bach. Quad, IL 164, pi. 73. The specimen of bighorn, or Rocky Mountain Sheep, brought home by Captain Stansbury, was shot on Chug- Water. It is the largest individual we have ever Been, although itself possibly not of maximum size. It differs somewhat from the description in Audubon and Bachman, in having the posterior line of all the legs yellowish white, this colour extending to the axillae in front, and confluent behind with the white of buttocks, scrotum, and |