Part 3

36. South side Toad River, 10 mi. S and 21 mi. E Muncho Lake.

37. Summit Pass, 10 mi. S and 70 mi. W Fort Nelson.

38. North Fork Tetsa River, 4 mi. ENE Summit Pass.

39. East side Minaker River, 1 mi. W Trutch.

40. Buckinghorse River, 94 mi. S Fort Nelson.

41. Beatton River, 115 mi. S Fort Nelson.

42. 5 mi. W and 3 mi. N Fort St. John.

Alberta

43. Assineau River, 10 mi. E and 1 mi. N Kinuso.

ACCOUNTS OF SPECIES

Sorex cinereus cinereus Kerr

Cinereous Shrew

Sorex arcticus cinereus Kerr, Animal Kingdom, p. 206, 1792. (Type from Fort Severn, Ontario, Canada.)

Sorex cinereus cinereus Jackson, Jour. Mamm., 6:56, February 9, 1925.

Specimens examined.--Total 56, as follows: Alaska: Chatanika River, 700 ft., 14 mi. E and 25 mi. N Fairbanks, 3; N side Salcha River, 600 ft., 25 mi. S and 20 mi. E Fairbanks, 10; Yerrick Creek, 21 mi. W and 4 mi. N Tok Junction, 2; E side Deadman Lake, 1800 ft., 15 mi. SE Northway, 1. Yukon Territory: 6 mi. SW Kluane, 2550 ft., 1; McIntyre Creek, 2250 ft., 3 mi. NW Whitehorse, 2; W side Lewes River, 2150 ft., 2 mi. S Whitehorse, 2; SW end Dezadeash Lake, 4; 11/2 mi. S and 3 mi. E Dalton Post, 2500 ft., 10. British Columbia: Stonehouse Creek, 51/2 mi. W jct. Stonehouse Creek and Kelsall River, 9; Hot Springs, 3 mi. WNW jct. Trout River and Liard River, 6; 1/4 mi. S jct. Trout River and Liard River, 4; 5 mi. W and 3 mi. N Fort St. John, 1. Alberta: Assineau River, 1920 ft., 10 mi. E and 1 mi. N Kinuso, 1.

Remarks.--Shrews from extreme northwestern British Columbia (Stonehouse Creek) average slightly larger than typical S. c. cinereus, especially in length of tail. These animals show definite evidence of intergradation with the larger subspecies, S. c. streatori, but are referable to S. c. cinereus. The pallor of some shrews from east-central Alaska (Chatanika River and Salcha River) suggests intergradation with the pale S. c. hollisteri.

Alcorn found the cinereous shrew at most of his trapping stations. It was captured in mouse traps baited with "chewed" rolled oats; one was taken in a trap baited with a grasshopper. Rand (1944:35) and Alcorn each found this shrew to be one of the commoner mammals along the Alaska Highway, but Alcorn did not find it to be so abundant as some of the rodents in areas in which he trapped. The cinereous shrew was taken principally in moist woodlands, grassy areas, and adjacent to water. One female taken on July 18 was lactating.

Sorex cinereus streatori Merriam

Cinereous Shrew

Sorex personatus streatori Merriam, N. Amer. Fauna, 10:62, December 31, 1895. (Type from Yakutat, Alaska.)

Sorex cinereus streatori Jackson, Jour. Mamm., 6:56, February 9, 1925.

Specimens examined.--Total 19, as follows: Alaska: E side Chilkat River, 100 ft., 9 mi. W and 4 mi. N Haines, 10; 1 mi. S Haines, 5 ft., 9.

Remarks.--Average and extreme external measurements of the nine adult specimens from 1 mile south of Haines are as follows: Total length, 103 (98-105); tail, 45 (43-46); and condylobasal length, 16.2 (16.0-16.4). Corresponding measurements of an adult specimen (No. 1676, UKMNH) from Sitka, Alaska, are 108, 47, and 16.5. Measurements of ten adult specimens from the Chilkat River, 9 miles west and 4 miles north of Haines, are 100 (91-106), 44 (40-50), 16.0 (15.5-16.5). The slightly smaller average size of the latter specimens indicates a trend toward the smaller S. c. cinereus, which occurs farther inland. Skulls of some of the specimens from the Chilkat River have a more slender rostrum than those of the specimens from 1 mile south of Haines, and more nearly resemble S. c. cinereus in this respect. Evidently, as indicated by Jackson (1928:54), S. c. streatori occupies only an extremely narrow strip of mainland in the vicinity of Haines.

Sorex cinereus hollisteri Jackson

Cinereous Shrew

Sorex cinereus hollisteri Jackson, Jour. Mamm., 6:55, February 9, 1925. (Type from St. Michael, Alaska.)

Specimens examined.--Two from Alaska: 1 mi. NE Anchorage, 100 ft.

Remarks.--Both specimens of this pale subspecies were trapped, along with six Clethrionomys and one Mus, in a grassy area bordered on one side by the road and on the other by a spruce forest. No. 21069, ?, taken on August 21, is in molt, with one patch of new fur on the rump and another along the midline of the nape and shoulders.