THE PKAIRIE DOG MUST GO 31 



These animals are gregarious and, through a dislike of solitude or a 

 desire for protection, live in "prairie dog towns." These towns look not 

 unlike a group of miniature volcanoes, of which the mouth of each burrow 

 closely resembles the crater. The mound of closely packed earth serves two 

 purposes; it prevents water from running into the burrow, and at the same 

 time furnishes a lookout station for the occupant. As one approaches a town 

 he will observe, while still some distance away, a number of little upright 

 figures, erect and motionless as statues, on top of several of these little 

 mounds. Upon close approach these figures emit a series of sharp cries and, 

 with a flip of their tails, disappear like a flash. These are the sentinel dogs 

 stationed on the outskirts of the town. As soon as the warning is given, 

 there follows a rapid scurrying of the other inhabitants and a like disap- 

 pearance into the ground. One marvels at the quickness of the whole per- 

 formance. When a number of these sentinel dogs are in such a position as 

 to be silhouetted against the sky, their upright position, warning cry, and 

 rapid disappearance remind one of the stationary animal target, the shot, 

 and the drop of the target familiar in shooting galleries. 



THE HABITS OP THE DOGS 



The prairie dog is herbivorous and roams about at a short distance from 

 the burrow, feeding on grass blades and stems. Their drinking water is 

 thought by some people to be obtained from their burrows, or, in other words, 

 the theory has been repeatedly advanced that these little fellows burrow down 

 to water. This is incredible; Dr. C. Hart Merriam points out that in some 

 regions where these animals live the nearest veins of water are 1,000 feet 

 below the surface. Presumably they can live without drinking, or at least 

 with no more water than is aftorded by the vegetation itself, or by the dews 

 upon it. 



Little is commonly known about the underground plans of their burrows, 

 since it is almost impossible to unearth them without damage. This has been 

 done, however, notably by Mr. W. H. Osgood of the Biological Survey, and 

 the diagrammatic illustration gives a good idea of the construction. The 

 mound at the entrance is conical in shape, and almost invariably compact 

 in its formation. As the construction of a new burrow advances, the fresh 

 earth which is excavated is gradually shaped and packed into this hard conical 

 mass by the builders, using their noses as tamping bars and shovels. Packed 

 as it is, it resists erosion by rain and wind. The burrows may be as much 

 as 15 feet deep, though the average depth is nearer 8 or 10 feet. 



The indications are that prairie dogs have but one litter in a season, 

 with from three to eight young born at a time. This accounts for the spread- 

 ing out of their towns, as new families set up for themselves. 



They are extremely interesting little animals and very "cute," even to 

 those who are familiar with the harm they do. It is true, too, that their 

 little "chirp-chirp" lessens the monotony of the prairie to the lone traveler, 

 but these redeeming points are not sufficient to make a balance in their favor, 

 or to prevent urgent efl'orts for their extermination. 



