El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-11-11

took the trouble to dig out a prairie
dogs burrOW with much care, making
q diagram and measurement OF IT, lie
found that it went down almost YER
ticauy for a distance Of l43a feet below
the surface and then turned abruptly
and became horizontal for 1879 feet
About half way in the length Of the
horizontal part was pocket-shaped
nest provided for the accommodation
Of the female and her young, which
usually number four
The mouth of the burrOw is marked
by a small mound, the hole having q
crater-like rim. made compact by the
nose of the animal, to keep water out
when the ground is flooded by sud
den rain. As already stated, the prairie
dog has no use for water, even 1oL
drinking. People used to think that II
must obtain water in the depths Of Its
burrows but arLesiau wells have been
sunk 1000 feet in dog towns without
finding any sign Of moisture 1naIlhs
to a very remarka bic provision OF ma
ture. this animal like the desert rats
is able TO obtain such water as 1t needs
from seeds and grasses.
Coyotes XIII Them.
The most inveUerate natural enemies
Of the prairie dogs are the coyote the
badger, the black-foOted ferret, and the
rattle snake. The coyote captures the
Drev BY the sneak-huut method, con-
cealing himself behind 2, bush anc
grabbing the victim when occasion
serves The badger digs the pralrl'
dog out of the burrOW with his power
full fOrecIaWs. The ferret simply walk!
INTO +he burrOw. glides down it and
devOurs the occupants at leisure -
likewise does the rattlesnake. But i
is believed that the snake eats onll
the young prairie dogs
If the ferrets and snakes were mucl
more numerous, they would soon wipe
out the inhabitants Of any dog town
As for the latter, it is alleged, Whethe
correctly or not, that the RATHER
mortally afraid of the adult pralrl
dogs If a mother dog finds that
snake has gone into her burrow, sh
/ sets up a familiar cry, to which he
I neighbOrs promptly respond Gather
ing about the hole, in moment Ine
are at work filling it up with earLL
! The quickness with which they do th
/ is remarkable; and when II IS Illlee
| they butt and pack the dirt into IN
! mouth of the burrOW until it is so har
/ that the imprisoned reptile mas 2
/ chance to escape The snake Is Lu-l
| aware OF this danger, and when lnNau
] ing q burroW, is always on the aleI
/ and prepared TO escape at Iue le-s
warning. A handful OF eafLn throw
into a prairie dogs hole, when a snak
is there. will bring him out win al
| speed, because he imaglnes Jnal W
] dogs are about to seal him up allNS
! such. at all events, IS the undersJanu
/ ing of the facts among people w
I dwell in the neighbOrhood OF plal- {
/ dog tOwn-thOugh, it must be admitted
naturalists are not prepared 70 lnooIs
! the correctness OF It,
Kansas War Was Scientific.
] The war against prairie dogs IN Kan
/ sas was waged on scientific principles
| It was a poisoning campaign, ana eN
/ perience proved that the most e1rectlV
/ agent to employ for the purpose wa
l strychnine mixed with wheat SUI
/ plate OF strychnine IS dissolved !
J warm water. in which the gram ]
/ soaked for "a hours, or longer unit
/ the moisture is all absorbed Then tn
] poisoned wheat, which costs about >
! bushel. is dried in the sun.
| The correct allowance is two ounce
! of the sulphate TO a bushel of grain
{ When the latter is used, it is not pu
( into the burrows, but is merely place
] near by--a tablespoonful TO hole j
! there are so. holes TO an acre, one DuSne
/ will poison 40 acres. at a cost of lz5
| cents an acre. One man can scatter tn
| stuff over so acres in a day
The first application Will Kill 70
( so percent of the animals But In OF
der to accomplish such good results,
! must be made late in winter or i'm earl
| spring. when food is scarce A secOu
/ treatment is given, in the same wal
I about q fortnight later and may d
! expected to clear out the occupants q
/ the few remaining tenanted burrows.
A preferred method, however, is
/ use bisulphide of carbon, instead &
! wheat, for the second treatment
/ comes in the form Of a liquid, in
| pound carbOys, costing 10 cents
| pound A tablespoonful of it is poure
| on a corncob or q piece of dry hors
! manure which is then dropped Int
/ the burrow. The mouth of the burrO'
| being thereupOn closed with earth, tn
! fumes of the bisulphide- (Which an
l heavier than air. sink into the depth
of the subterranean passages and stiff
I the animals to death. This plan opel
ates with remarkable effectiveness an
[ sureness. Tt is simply a question Of
little persistence-the prairie dos
must so.
Just about 20 years ago, one or tw
pairs Of prairie dogs, obtained fro
kansas or somewhere in that vicinit
were introduced on the island Of Nan
tucket. For several years they IL
I creased slowly in numbers, and wei
regarded with some interest and cur
osity. Then. and as if quite sUddenl