''SALAMANDERS'' AND ''SALAMANDER'' CATS. 561 



Indeed, it is bj taking advantage of this morbid antipathy to 

 intruders and daylight that our little underground dweller is usu- 

 ally caught. If by skillful digging a recently formed burrow is 

 reached, one may be reasonably certain that in from five to ten 

 minutes Mr. " Salamander " will be on hand to see what has hap- 

 pened and to repair damages. A shotgun kept steadily aimed at 

 the opening, and with a quick pull on the trigger the instant the 

 slightest movement in the sand is seen, " fetches " him every 

 time. Another very successful method is to place a strong trap 

 right at the opening into his burrow. In making repairs our " sala- 

 mander " is in too big a hurry to look very carefully where he steps, 

 and so is quite likely to blunder into the trap. He is always caught, 

 however, by one of his legs, and if left any length of time is quite 

 apt to gnaw off the captive limb and thus make his escape. Spar- 

 tan bravery or love of freedom surpassing this would be hard to 

 find. 



The food of Geomys bursarius appears to be exclusively vege- 

 table. ITative roots and root stocks, cones and bulbs, together 

 with the root bark of various trees, are eaten by him, and sometimes 

 in a very annoying way. Orange trees are peculiarly liable to 

 his attacks. He gnaws through and around the tap root as near 

 to the surface as he can without disturbing it or in any way call- 

 ing attention to his work, and not infrequently he continues his 

 depredations until every root of any size is eaten off. This, of 

 Course, means the death of the tree. 



From the " salamander " point of view, however, the greatest 

 food " bonanza " of all is a sweet-potato patch. "A 'possum up a 

 'simmon tree " or a " pig in clover " is not more alive to the de- 

 lights and advantages of the situation. He not only eats all he 

 can stuff, but invites his relatives and friends. Nor is this all. 

 He has learned that in autumn sweet potatoes are liable to sud- 

 denly disappear, so he " takes time " — and the potatoes — " by the 

 forelock," and packs them away in liberal measure in his burrow 

 for winter use. So well understood are the ways and weaknesses 

 of this underground marauder that any suspicious mound of earth 

 in a sweet-potato field is the signal for an active campaign of ex- 

 termination, which ends only in the intruder's flight or death. 



The " side pockets " of the " salamander " have already been 

 referred to. They are undoubtedly a great convenience to their 

 owner in carrying food and possibly other things. The capacity 

 of these cheek pouches is about sufficient to give room for a pigeon's 

 egg. They are, however, quite extensile, and can readily be made 

 to hold three or four times this amount. Indeed, the skin and 

 underlying connective .tissue are so elastic that these pockets can 



VOL. LTI. — 45 



