THE OREGON NATURALIST. 35 



the grassy glades of the higher ranges, lers live are too high to be of use for 

 commonly known as elk meadows, which agricultural purposes; therefore it is safe 

 are located close to the line of perpetual to say that they will never be looked upon 

 snow. Here they excavate deep burrows as a .farm pest. This, unfortunately, 

 of considerable extent, in which they live, cannot be said of their next of kin, the 

 the entrance in some cases being con- vvoodchuck (Arctomys monax). 

 cealed by a large boulder or other natural The woodchuck of of the Olympic 

 protection, but oftener being plain to be mountains is of a dirty slate color, and 

 seen. In the selection of their food they about one-half the size of the whistler, 

 are strictly vegetarian; their chief diet be- it inhabits the same regions, but also de 

 ing grass and stalks of alpine plants, scends and makes its home along the 

 A peculiarity of these animals is that they headwaters of the mountain streams. Its 

 spend nearly eight months of each year diet is the same as that of the whistler, 

 in their underground dwellings, and a but it prefers for its dwelling place a 

 considerable part of the time is passed in grassy meadow, where rocks are not so 

 hibernation. In May the young, four or plentiful, and it does not live in colonies, 

 six in number, are born in the burrows. The cry of the woodchuck resembles a 

 and about the first of June the paren''s weak, poor imitation of the whistler, but 

 appear active above ground, even if the as the animal is shy and dodges into its 

 snow has not yet gone off. At first they hole on the approach of danger, instead of 

 turn their attention to a general house- warning its comrades, as does its larger 

 cleaning, and all the old remnants of relative, it is not so often heard. The cry 

 grass and other food that has been left of the whistling marmot is a danger 

 over from the last winter's supply is signal, but the woodchuck's cry is a call 

 thrown out of the mouth of the burrows, to its mate, and is only heard when every- 

 Then comes a short period of fun and thing is still and no danger apprehended, 

 frolic, during which time the young of the In habits and life history the woodchuck 

 previous year choose their partners, and resembles the whistler so closely as to 

 build, or more literally, dig their homes, render its needless to describe it further, 

 for only one family live together in a bur- except in one respect, which is the slight 

 row. By this time the alpine herbage on proclivity of the woodchuck to climb 

 which they live is well grown, and these small trees. These are the only true 

 busy little workers commence to gather marmots found in the Olympic range, but 

 large quantities for winter use, first care- the next species is so nearly related to 

 fully drying it in the sun. and then carry- them and so far removed from any other 

 ing it into their burrows. Toward the genius as to be treated under the same 

 end of September the marmots hole up for head. 



the winter, which commences about that The mountain boomer (Aplodon rufus), 

 time in the high altitudes at which they also known as the mountain beaver, is 

 dwell. The regions in which the whist- pretty evenly distributed throughout the 



