American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-04-10

DIR. ELLIOTT CONES, .. ). A, con
tributes II paper on the prairie-gopher to
late number of the Naturalist, from
which the following facts are taken:
The gophers belong Co the family OF
squirrels (.Scin7id9l, and Inhabit the
western portion OF North America, from
Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, and also "A
large part OF the Northern Henri phere of
the Old World. They are fitted for iiv-
ing in burrows-rarely, if ever, climbing
trees-and, for the most part, are found
in the open prairies Two species occur
east of the Mississippi; but from the
plains to the Pacific they abound i'll pro-
fusion
The prairie-gopher occurs in vast mum
bers over hun dreds of thousands of miles
of Western territory. DR.. Cones states
that he never saw any animals in such
multltudes. 81 have ridden" he says,
:. for days and weeks where they were
continuously as numerous as prairie
dogs are in their popuIous villages.
Their numbers to the square mile are
vastly greater than | ever ascertained
those of s. Beecheyie, the pest OF Cali
fornia, to be under the most favorable
conditions. In word their name Is
legion. If Dakota and Montana were
the garden of the world (Which they are
not, however, either the gophers or the
gardeners would have to quit"
They do not seem to prefer one locality
over another, being quite as abundant
in sterile, alkaline wastes as in fertile,
grassy plains; but their gregarious in
stiuct is strong, and they are generally
seen assembled in communities, accord
ing to tine habit of prairie-dOgs. Now
and then, oddly enough, DIR. Cones
would find single individual established
miles away from his fellows. These
.S.,lrf
observed, males; and, of course, had
withdrawn from the society of their kind
on account of some blight upon then
early affections 1t is to be noted, how
ever, that they were peculiarly sleek and
enormously fat. A celibate life agreed
with them undeniably.
The burrows of the prairie-go gopher are
not quite large enough to admit a mans
arm They slant obliquely from the
mouth, and generally form an elbow at
the depth of a foot or so. Each animal
appears to have a burrow by itself, and
to guard it jealousy from intrusion.
Some burrows are occupied exclusively
as storehouses and the rest as residences
| for separate individuals. They fairly
| honeycomb the soil in some regions,
making it dangerous for horses and men
to travel rapidly The holes just admit
horses hoof, and the galloping over q
country where they abound is dangerous
| in the extreme.
| The gophers do not migrate, and 1t Is
probable that they pass the winter in a
state of torpor. They spend the summer
accommodating a store of grassseed
which they carry in their cheek-pouches
to their burrows. Though properly
| graminivorous, the gopher is fond OF
| meat, and feeds freely in summer upoI
slain buffaloes and other animals.
The voice of the gopher is sharp ano
| wiry, and pitched on high key. lii
cry is a single note repeated severa
| times. "Comical as a gopher is in sOm'
of his attitudes and notions" DIR
Cones remarks that :" he never looks g,
funny as when suueaking. He general.
gets down on all-fours to it, drops hi
Jaw with a jerk, and squeezes out tn
noise by drawing in his belly-it re
minds one of toy-dog-"
! The gopher is exceedingly timid, ant
seemingly never goes out without ieelin!
that he takes his life in his hands. Say
DIR. Cones: " A thoIoughly-scare goph'
is the liveliest object in nature; a null
kicking over the traces is perfect repos
in comparison. He doubles up and open
out like nothing else know of, with hi
absurd little whisk of a tail hoisted an
the way he gets over the ground withou
once looking back is amazing. Safe home
be he never so badly fright, ned, he Wi
stop to see what was the matter. IL
pops bolt upright, stands stock still wit
his lore paws dropped affectedly in froI
of him, looks demurely aroand, an
squeaks out Pooh! who's afraidg' a
plainly as possible. But let one come
step nearer, and down he goes on a
tours, right over the hole, where he sit
and scolds, with back arched up, read
for q dive When he does finally due
out of sight there is no mistaking hi
: meaning the suggestive fiirt of his tai
the last thing seen, speaks volumes TO
! thoughtful observer.
But the prettiest of all the exhib
tions gopher can make of himself
when he frames his profile in the rim O
his burrow. Not seldom, after runuin
some little fellow to earth, have l stoo
t still just by the hole, and confident
, waited for Lis temperance. Present.
, hear a little scratching, perhaps
: squeak, and then see his head, turne
: roguishly to one side, to throw on
t bright, black eye full upon me, as if
, ask what manner of creature l may /
to stand thus boldly at his door. Ii
3 looks AS if he would like to invite me il
J and then laugh at me for being too bi
\ and clumsy to enter"
.