486 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



popuLA At Clayton, New Mexico, I found its kinsman, arcticeps. 



TION 



SO abundant that I estimate its numbers at not less than 50 

 to the acre in a favourite locality, though I suspect that this 

 was a colony, and there may have been great areas without 

 any of the kind. This may help to furnish a little light on the 

 numbers of the present species. 



ENVIRON- Its chosen surroundings are dry, sunny hillocks on edges of 

 thickets in open country. In Minnesota, Bailey found it common 

 on hills and prairies living "in holes on the top of Indian mounds, 

 in sides of banks, and in holes under debris among brush."' 



HOME- I have no evidence to show the home -range of the indi- 



RANGE '11 



vidual. 



VOICE The species seems unusually gifted, for its family, in the 



matter of voice. In my Yellowstone journal I find this note 

 for June 28, 1897: ''Yancey's, Yellowstone Park. To-day, 

 as I was sitting on an open sandy bank near the Yellowstone, 

 I heard a prolonged, plaintive, squeaking call, repeated at 

 intervals of four or five seconds. It seemed to come from a 

 part of this bank, about thirty feet from where I sat. The 

 calling ceased when I went to the place, but I found the bank 

 honeycombed with mouse-holes of microtine style, and of 

 about two-inch calibre. All about was open, sparsely grassed 

 country. The sound was like that of a Calling-hare, but 

 much higher pitched, and there was no Calling-hare ground 

 within many miles; it certainly came from these holes. I 

 have not yet found the cause of this crying, but doubtless it 

 is the unknown habit of a well-known creature." 



The answer to my riddle I found in V. Bailey's notes* 

 on a Grasshopper-mouse that he kept in captivity. " He settled 

 one thing for me: that a squeaking cry which I heard at even- 

 ings at Brown's Valley and once or twice at Duck Lake was 

 made by this species. He has made the same sound several 

 times. It is something like the cry of the Flying-squirrel." 



* Loc. cit., p. 442. * Ibid. 



