RODENTS: RATS AND MICE. 51 



long, with large front teeth, strong fore feet, and short 

 tail. Opening on the outside of the mouth are large 



Fig. 92. Pocket Gopher. 



cheek-pouches, which reach back even to the shoulders; 

 and these pouches are lined with fur, and are entirely 

 different from the much smaller cheek-pouches of the 

 Striped Gopher, which open within the mouth. The, 

 Pocket Gopher throws up a mound of earth which, in 

 some .instances, is ten feet in diameter, and two feet 

 high ; and within this mound is its nest, where it rears 

 its young ; and from the mound it digs numerous gal- 

 leries in different directions, one or two feet below the 

 surface of the ground. It uses its curious pouches for 

 carrying food, and for carrying away the earth which 

 it removes in digging its galleries. Coming to the sur- 

 face with its pouches full of earth, it empties them so 

 quickly as to puzzle the looker on, and instantly re- 

 treats into its hole. Pocket Gophers feed mainly upon 

 the roots of plants. They fight savagely with one an- 

 other, and offer battle when met by man. If two are 

 placed together, they instantly attack each other, and 

 the stronger eats up the weaker. 



RATS AND MICE. 



There are more than three hundred kinds of these 

 animals, all of which are small. More than fifty kinds 

 inhabit North America. They devour all sorts of edi- 



