220 ROBERT B. ROCKWELL 



to clutch the accustomed frame would fall backward, after which 

 she would spin around repeatedly much after the fashion of 

 a wounded creature. She did this always from practically the 

 same spot. During the latter part of the performance she con- 

 tinually gave utterance to low cries and moans, and her entire 

 manner gave the plainest evidence of grief and excitement. 

 In all my experience with wild creatures, I have never wit- 

 nessed a more keenly pathetic scene. 



Finally, after we had satisfied ourselves that further obser- 

 vations would reveal nothing new, we decided to capture her 

 and photograph her the following morning (it was by this time 

 almost midnight), and here we received a great surprise, for, 

 although she eluded our hands and in doing so exhibited wonder- 

 ful strength for so small an animal, she did so in a half-hearted 

 manner, and although the knothole w r as within a few feet, she 

 did not attempt to escape by that means except once, and even 

 then she was back going through her queer performance within a 

 minute. 



Previous experience with these little creatures had taught 

 me a wholesome respect for their sharp teeth, so we approached 

 her with heavy gloves, but even when we held her tightly in our 

 hands she exhibited neither fear or anger, and instead of biting 

 fiercely as is usual with this species, she simply nibbled feebly 

 at the gloved finger much as a house cat might scratch at a 

 door it wanted opened. 



After capturing the animal three times and allowing her to 

 escape each time for fear of injuring her in her struggles, she 

 was finally placed in a box and we retired for the night. The 

 next morning we made a narrow box with glass sides and no 

 bottom and prepared to make a series of studies. She was 

 somewhat wilder in the sunlight and became quite panic stricken 

 when first put into the glass box, the glass sides being altogether 

 beyond her comprehension ; but after a few minutes she quieted 

 down and a highly interesting series of photographs was the 

 result, one of which published herewith shows the erect position 

 above described. 



After half a dozen exposures had been made the captive was 

 liberated and promptly scampered into the nearest burrow, 

 and since that time we seldom visited the "club" during the 

 long summer and fall without being greeted by her sharp, clear 



