Entinedl marek 12,(9¢6b

From: Arctic No. 3, Vol. 9, pp. 208-9

MAMMALS OF NORTHERN |
ALASKA:.ON THE ARCTIC SLOPE.}

By James W. Bee.and E. RayMonp.|.
' the geography, climate, and biotic ‘com-'

Hat. Lawrence, Kansas: Allen. Press,
1956. (Museum of Natural History,
University of Kansas, Misc. Publ. No.
8). 9 x 6 inches; 309 pages; col. frontis-.
piece; 4 plates, 127 numbered figures,

5 tables? Cloth $4.00, paper bound

$1.00... Cae

This book represents the first attempt
to" provide a definite account of the.
mammals occurring on the Arctic Slope
of Alaska. It is based on specimens col-
lected and observations made by the
‘ authors and their assistants during two
summers (July 3-September 6, 1951,
- June 14-September 12, 1952), and on
i gaterial in, the collections of . nine
> museums in the. United States and
Canada. ,

A coloured frontispiece by R. P.
Grossenheider depicts the five species of
microtine rodents and the three species
of shrews considered: in the book. Al-:
though well executed by ‘the artist, the |
subtle shades of colour seen.in the living |
animal are not accurately portrayed. The |

 

book consists of a short introduction, a;

check list of the species considered, a dis-
cussion of these mammals, a hypothetical
list.of species for which records are lack-
ing,a key to the mammals of the Arctic:

seeeaae ee!

 

REVIEWS

Slope, a short discussion (22 pages) of:

munities of the-Arctic Slope, an itiner-:
ary, and.a bibliography of 177 titles.

The introduction contains a discussion
of the ‘cyclic fluctuations of certain
species pf arctic mammals, a phenomenon
attribug¥d to the ‘effects of starvation,
predation, and.-disease. There is also a
brief cémparison of the faunas of arctic,
temperate, and tropical regions. —°

The bulk of the book, 247 pages, is

taken. up by the discussion of the 42:

species of mammals recorded. In addi-
tion to the scientific names, the common
and Eskimo names. are given. A list. of

pertinent references precedes each species
account. A detailed description of each

. species is given, supplemented by appro-

priate illustrations, including a line draw-
ing of the skull. Under “remarks” are
given field observations and data on
trapping results, reproduction, molt, and
general ecology. Previously published
records of occurrence are summarized
at the close of each account, and stations
of occurrence*are shown on an outline
map. Le et

Emphasis is placed on the shrews and
microtine rodents, with over half the
total section on species being’ devoted to

_ them. For these mammals “detailed ob-

servations on reproduction, composition
of populations, and molt are given. Many
data are presented by means of-graphs,
the use of which in some cases might
be considered excessive. The discussions
of mammals do not adequately take into
consideration the fluctuations in popula-
tion density so characteristic of shrews
and. mouse-like rodents of the region.
Consequently, observations on habitat
preferences and interspecific relation-
ships are often misleading. Everywhere
in the discussions one finds animal be-
haviour interpreted in a purposeful way,
such as (page 81): “The lemmings re-
treat to these. ice chambers .. . to keep

. cool during the hottest part of the

summer.” Throughout the book other
observations are often given interpreta-

5G03\0-7

209

tions not supported by available data.
The authors use their own data almost
exclusively and make no attempt to syn-
thesize the work of others in interpret-
ing their observations. Had _ this been
done, a much more valuable contribution
would have resulted.

Not many specimens of the larger
mammals were collected, nor were speci-
mens in other collections studied, especi-
ally of the larger carnivores (wolf, bear,
wolverine, etc.), but this is also true in
the case of the common seals, specimens
of which are obtainable in the coastal
Eskimo villages. It is unfortunate that
the authors did not discuss the taxonomic
status of the terrestrial carnivores, even
where it appears to be important. In
some accounts skulls that were not col-
lected in Alaska have been used for
illustrative purposes, among others
black bear and otter from California,
moose from Minnesota, and caribou
from Greenland. Although this is of
little technical importance, it neverthe-
less distracts from the value of the work.
In all such cases the same subspecies that
occur on the Arctic Slope are found. also
in the forested regions to the south, and
suitable material is available. Of the 29
terrestrial species considered at least 24
are widely distributed in the forested
regions of Alaska and northern Canada.

In the section on caribou the authors
forcefully criticize the “control” of
wolves on the Arctic Slope as being bio-
logically unsound and probably detri-
mental to the welfare of the herds.

The localities where the authors made
their collections were largely places
where collections had been made by
others. However, although mammals
have been studied from relatively few
localities, the region is so uniform that
few differences can be expected.

The authors have made the fullest use
of the material at their disposal. The
book will serve as an important and
valuable guide to those continuing this
work in arctic Alaska.

Roserr L. Rauscu