The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-15
The Prairie.GOpher.

. Os a.,
one of his charming papers on Natural
History to the last number of the Natural
ist, taking for his theme the species OF
prairie-oopher known to biologists as the
Spsy7,aoDhiIus R5chardsoni. We acknowl-
edge our obligation to the article for the
following facts: The gophers belong to
the family of squirrels (Scinrido,), and in
habit the western portion of North Ameri-
ca, from Mexico TO the Arctic Ocean, and
also large part of the Northern Henri
sphere of the Old World. They are fitted
for living in burrows-rarely, If ever,
climbing trees-and, for the most part,
are found in the open prabies. Two spe-
cies occur east of the Mississippi; but,
from the Plains to the Pacific, they abound
in Profnsion. =
The pralrie-gopher occurs in vast num-
bers overahundreds of thousands of miles
of Western territory. DIR. Cones states
that he never saw any animals in such
multitutles 81 have ridden, The says, ''for
days and weeks where they were contiffl-
Ously as numerous as prairie-dcgs are In
their populous villages. Their numbers
to the square mile are vastly greater than
| ever ascertained those of S. Beecheyie, the
pest of California, 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 qhit."
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 instinct is
strong, and they are generally seen as
sembled in communities, according TO the
habit of prairie-dogs Now and then, odd
ly enough, DIR. Cones would find single
individual established miles away from
his fellows. These solitary specimens
were, in every case observed, males; and,
of course, had withdrawn from the society
of their kind on account of some blight
upon their early affections. 1t is to be
noted, however, that they were peculiar
" sleek and enormously fat. A cellbate
life agreed with them undeniably.
The burrows of the prairie-gopher are
not quite large enough to admit.a mans
arm. They slant obliGuely from the
mouth and generally form an elbow at the
depth of foot or so. Each animal ap-
pears to have burrow by itself, and to
guard it jealously from intrusion. Some
burrows are occupied exclusively as store
houses and the rest as residences for sep
arate individuals. They fairly honeyeemb
the soil in some regions, making II dan
gerous for horses and men to. travel rapid
ly. The holes just admit horses hoof,
and the galloping over country where
they abound is dangerous in the extreme.
The gophers do not migrate, and it is
probable that they pass the winter in q
state of torpor. They spend the summer
accumulating a store of grasS-seed, which
| they carry in their cheek-pouches to their
burrows. Though properly graminivOr
Gus, the gopher is fond of meat, and feeds
! freely in summer upon slain buttalos and
other animals.
JThevoice of the gopher is sharp and
wiry, and pitched on high key. His
cry is single note repeated several times
Comical as gopher is in some of his atti
! tudes and notions" DR.. Cones remarks
| that - he never looks so funny as when
squeaking. He-generally gets down on
all fours to it, drops his jaw with a jerk,
| and squeeZes out the noise by drawing ir
his belly-it reminds Gne of a toy-dog."
| The gopher is exceedingly timid, aDd
! seemingly never goes out without feeling
/ that he takes his life in his hands. Says
DR.. Cones: "A thoroughly scared gopher
is the liveliest object in nature; mule
kicking over the traces is. perfect repose ir
comparison. He doubles up and open:
out like nothing else / know of, with his
| absurd little whiskOf tail hoisted; an6
4 the way he gets oyer the ground without
I once looking back is amazing. Safe home
be he never so badly frightened, he viii
stop to see what was the matter. He pops
bolt Gpright, stands stock still with hi:
/ fore-paws dropped af1ectedly in front o
him; looks demurely around, and squeak'
! out Pooh, who's afraid p as plainly a.
possible, But let one come step nearer
and down he goes on all fours, right ovel
the hole, where he sits and scolds, witt
back arched up, ready for dive. Wher
/ he does finally duck Out, of sight, there i
no MISLEADING his meaning; the suggestive
l tlirt of his tail, the last thing seen, speak
volumes to thoughtful observer.
=" ButFthel prettiest OF all the exhibition
a gopher can make, of himself is when b,
frames his profile in the rim of his burrow
Not seldom. after running some little fel
low to earth, have stood still Just by tn
hole, and confidently waited for his reap
pearance. Presently hear alittle scratch
ing. perhaps squeak, and then [ see hi
head, turned roguishly to one side, Il
/ throw one bright. black eye full upon me
4 as if to ask what manner of creature | ma.
be to stand thus boldly at his door. Ill
J looks as if heewoald like to invite me in
|. and then laugh at me for being too big an
clumsy TO enters. -