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.ND MAMMALOGIST. 445 
- remained untouched. The same was true of bread and cheese, and fried cake was 
‘seldom eaten. They seem suspicious of traps, and evidently leave their holes when 
-» traps are set near them. Ihave caught several Onychomys leucogaster and Hes- 
peromys leucopus sonoriensis at their holes, and think these species either drive ovt 
the Arvicole or else inhabit the old holes. 
a: PRAIRIE MEADOW MOUSE (Arvicola austerus). 
Dakota.—Rapid City (eastern edge of Black Hills), November 16, 1887: They 
are numerous ina few places, always in brush or weed patches on low praivies. 
_ They seem to live in colonies, and dig an immense number of holes, throwing out 
quite large piles of dirt. R 
NORTHERN PRAIRIE MEADOW MOovussE (Arvicola austerus minor). 
Minnesota.—Brown’s Valley, Traverse County, June 21-July 8, 1887: Common, 
probably on both sides, but I took it only on the Dakota side. Found where they 
had dug and eaten many wild onions (Alliwm striatum) and the bulbous root of a 
_plant of the composite family, whichI can notname. Ortonville, Big Stone County, 
June 6-13, 1887: Common on the high prairie; lives in holes, usually in small ele- 
vations of some kind, as old ant-hillsor a bog. Elk River, Sherburne County: Com- 
mon on high ground ; never found on the low meadows with Arvicola riparius. 
Dakota.—Devil’s Lake, Ramsey County, August 6-19, 1887: Very scarce; caught 
2. Bottineau (western edge of Turtle Mountain), August 22-30, 1887: Quite com- 
mon; feeds largely on the bulbous roots of Liatris graminifolia, which is abundant 
all over the prairie. 2 
be LEMMING MouUsE; CoopEer’s Mouse (Synaptomys cooperi). 
Minnesota,—Elk River, Sherburne County: Rather rare. Usually found on low 
meadows or near a brook; have never caught any in traps. Of the 7 or 8 spec- 
imens which I have taken, the first was dug out from under a tamarack stump on. 
a wet marsh; 21 caught in my hands while making hay, both on low meadows 
- and near a brook. In the winter of 1886~87 I tock 3 or 4 from the cats, but do not 
know where they caught them. 
Muskrat (Fiber zibethicus), 
Minnesota.—Hlk River, Sherburne County, 1887: Numerous; live in holes in banks 
of creeks and rivers, and in houses which they build in ponds and lakes. They eat 
fresh-water mussels, small turtles, and lily roots. The mussels eaten are both the 
thin-shelled kind of the mud-bottomed lakes and the heavy-shelled of rivers (Unio). 
- Some trappers use mussels for bait. The turtle eaten by Muskrats is a small bright- 
colored terrapin, probably Chrysemys picta. Three or four years ago I took from 
a Muskrat house a small turtle with three of its legs and its tail eaten off. and the 
shell gnawed. It was still alive. The lily roots eaten are Nymphea tuberosa and 
Nuphar advena. 'They forma large part of the food of Muskrats in winter when the 
ponds are frozen. 
Minnesota and Dakota.—Red River Valley : Common at all points visited, from 
the south end of Big Stone Lake north to Pembina. 
Dakota.—Flandreau, Moody County, May, 1887: Common. Fort Sisseton, Mar- 
shall County, June, 1887: Common. Devil’s Lake, Ramsey County, August, 1887: 
ee Rapid City, Pennington County, November, 1887: Common along the 
creeks, 
Montane.—Tilyou’s Ranch, Dawson County, September and October, 1887: Found. 
holes and excrement of a few along a creek. 
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