16 OUT WITH THE BIRDS 



horizontally, pulling the hole in after him by 

 filling the space behind him. This has several 

 advantages: foxes, coyotes, weasels, etc., have 

 sharp noses, but not keen enough to locate often 

 the exact spot occupied by the sleeping grouse, 

 hidden in the snow, without prematurely disturb- 

 ing him and causing him to burst out explosively. 

 Owls, too, are thus prevented from pouncing 

 upon the sleeper. Doubtless, also, the bed is 

 much warmer than if the bird was sitting at the 

 end of a long, open tunnel, with a large air- 

 space. The larger illustration shows a bed with 

 a very short tunnel. The bird entered at x 

 and emerged at y. At z is a tiny peep-hole, for 

 some reason burst out through the snow. 



But the sharp-tails are not the only denizens 

 of the sand-hills. Here, scudding up the side of 

 a knoll between two bluffs, are the tracks of a 

 little hare, heading for cover, and nearby, 

 around the side of the same knoll, are the prints 

 of his larger cousin of the plains, the so-called 

 jack-rabbit. The little fellow stopped a mo- 

 ment on the hillside to listen. Note how dif - 

 ferently the big hare sets down his feet. The 

 prints are really smaller, but show a much 

 greater spread between them. This big chap 



