INJURIOUS INSECTS OF 1904. 159 



two of the branch burrows leading from it to the surface, and 

 affording means of removing the earth dug from the main burrow. 

 The mounds of earth one sees mark the places where these branch 

 burrows were open and later closed. The last one made that 

 marks the end of the main burrow, is frequently found open, as that 

 is nearer the location of the animal's work, as he tunnels in some 

 desired direction, possibly toward a patch of potatoes, or along a 

 row of potatoes, or toward some promising clover field. By pour- 

 ing about ^ pint of bisulphide of carbon on a piece of old burlap 

 or oakum, thrusting it quickly down this open branch burrow, pref- 

 erably when the soil is moist, and then stopping the aperture 

 with earth, the writer has killed many. Nevertheless the main 

 burrow is sometimes so extensive in its length that treatment 

 with this poisonous gas is not always successful, and recourse 

 must be had to poison. I have been extremely successfvd with 

 strychnine poisoning, proceeding in this way : The crystals of 

 strychnine were powdered in the bottle in which they were pur- 

 chased, by means of a large headed nail. Having previously pro- 

 vided myself with an old spoon tied to a long stick, I made slits 

 in a piece of potato with a pen knife, and with the same blade 

 introduced a little powdered strychnine, the poisoned piece of 

 potato was then placed in the spoon, which was thrust away down 

 the hole, turned over and withdrawn, thus leaving the bait in the 

 burrow without having had to put my hand in, the scent of which 

 might alarm the gopher. Another and perhaps simpler way, when 

 the ground allows, is to take an old spade handle or shovel handle 

 of the short kind, sharpen it and thrust it through the soil in the 

 course of the main burrow, and when quite sure that has been 

 reached, dropping in the poisoned potato, and gently pushing it 

 with the spade handle until you are sure it is in the main burrow. 

 Or, if all the branch burrows are filled, one can carefully remove 

 the earth from one of them and introduce the spoon containing 

 the poisoned potato therein. Some claim that they have had better 

 success with parsnips than with potatoes when using poisoned bait. 

 I have also had success with an ordinary steel trap, digging 

 down to the main burrow with a spade, excavating a place for the 

 trap on the floor of the burrow, covering the set trap lightly with 

 soil, and then placing a piece of board on the surface of the 



