Questions re Pre-1902 Canada Militia Buttons

[GrantRCanada]

If this has been covered here previously, my apologies - I was unable to locate anything using the Search function .......

Can anyone help with a timeline and other details for use of these two types of "general list" buttons ....



Having previously seen (or at any rate noticed) only the beaver design with both QVC and KC, but the crown-center version only with QVC, I assumed that the beaver button was the later of the two styles, and thus transitioned to the King's crown upon the death of Queen Victoria .....'

However, I recently came across an image which clearly proves my assumption entirely wrong ......



I now gather that both designs must have been use at the same time, and that both continued in use after 1901. My first question is two-pronged - did one pattern pre-date the other to any significant degree ..... and/or did one pattern continue in use longer?

Also, was there some distinction regarding which type of unit used one pattern or the other - such as infantry versus cavalry, or something of that sort - or were both types of button in general use?