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REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGIST AND MAMMALOGIST. 449 
never found more than one in one set of holes. They lay up large storesof food!for 
winter, mostly roots and stems of weeds cut into short pieces. Round Lake, No- 
bles County, May, 1887: Numerous. Heron Lake, May, 1887: Present, but not in 
sufficient numbers to do much harm. Ortonville, June, 1887: Common in the 
hollows and on the low ground; rare on the high prairie. Brown’s Valley, Trav- 
erse County, June and July, 1887: Common on both sides; keep mostly on low 
ground, very numerous in the. valley. 
Dakota.—Flandreau, Moody County, May, 1887: Numerous. FortSisseton, June, 
1887: Common. Grand Forks, July, 1887: Quite common along the river bank 
and railroads; a few in the fields. When in grain-fields they run long, crooked 
tunnels about 2 inches below the surface, and coming out at short intervals, cut 
down the grain and carry it into their holes. Many of the holes for a distance of 
several feet are packed full of grain stalks, and seem to be used only to store grain 
in. Most of the grain is cut into pieces, about 1 or 2 inches long, but some whole 
stalks are drawn in. Their object seems to be to fill the holes with a supply of food 
to be eaten at leisure, but much more grain is drawn into the holes than can be eaten 
while fresh, for on examining old holes I found them full of moldy stalks. Iam 
not sure what part they eat, for they leave a great dealof allparts. I think they eat 
stalks and all, but mostly the heads. 
Dakota.—Devil’s Lake, Ramsey County, August, 1887: Common. The principal 
damage they do is in meadows. Harwood, Cass County, July, 1887: Common 
along the railroads, and occasionally in the woods near the river bank. 
Gray POUCHED GOPHER (Thomomys talpoides). 
L 
Minnesota.—Saint Vincent, August 31, 1887: Common. 
Daicota.—Pembina, July and August, 1887: Common everywhere. Occurs on the 
Manitoba side of the boundary, and cn the Minnesota side of the valley. Asarule 
this species avoids cultivated field-. I have found but one place where it was living 
in fields of grain, and this one had cut down the grain near its hole and carried it 
below ground, stalks and all, just as Geomys does. Though abundant here, this 
was the only instance where I found it ina field. They seem to prefer the wild 
lants on the prairies, especially Psoralea argophylia, a species of wild clover with 
ong pulpy roots, that grows abundantly ail over the prairies, except in low grassy 
places, where neither it nor the Gophers are found. ‘These roots have so strong a 
smell that it is imparted to the Gophers, so that they smell as strong as the roots. 
Specimens caught in the woods lack the smell entirely. The other food which I 
have found them eating was the leaves, stems, and reots of various weeds and 
grasses. They are most numerous along the weedy ridges, while Geomys prefers 
low ground and marshes. Thomomys are much easier to catch than Geomys, and de 
not fill their holes with dirt so far down. I can dig any of them open with my 
fingers. Thomomys are not half as large as Geomys. Their manner of throwing 
up hills differs from that of Geomys in several ways: (1) The single hiils average 
about half as large as those of Geomys; (2) they generally form a cluster or group, 
instead of a line, and consequently are less progressive (a cluster of hills where a 
Gopher has evidently worked all summer seldom extends more than 5 or 6 rods); 
(3) they often open the hole and-throw out dirt several times in the same place, 
making irregular hills of various sizes. Sometimes, though not generally, a Gopher 
throws out the dirt through the same hole every night (filling the opening through 
the day), until it has formed a pile of a bushel or more; then throws up another at 
a long distance from the first. The farthest apart of connected hilis that I have 
measured was 27 feet, generally less. This seems to be their way of traveling. No 
small hills are found near the very large ones, but these seem to be connected by a 
straight hole which continues in © certain direction. Following are the dimensions 
of some of the large hills: 4 by 4 feet, and 10 inches high; 4 by 5 feet, and 9 inches 
high; 3 by 3 feet, and 7 inches high: 4 by 5 feet, and Ginches high. They must breed 
earlier than Geomys or get their crowth sooner, for their young are very nearly full- 
grown now (August 3), while the young cf Geomys are about haif grown. The fol- 
lowing statement shows the number of developed teats in the adult females examined; 
all had been nursed this season: 3-4, 4-5, 4-5, 4-5, 4-6, 5-5, 5-5, 5-6, 5-6, 6-6, 5-7. 
Devil’s Lake, Ramsey County. August, 1887: Common, but not soabundant as at Pem- 
bina. Here, as at Pembina, they avoid the marshes, where only grass grows, and cul- 
tivated fields. One group of their hills ina marsh and two ina stubble-field are the 
only ones I have found, although I have been over many fields and marshes, and find 
them common atthe edges. Inone field that was broken this summer (about 40 acres) 
Icould not find a hill, though many Gophers must have been there before it was 
plowed. Evidently their holes run so near the surface {!:ct a plow destroys them 
and the Gophers leave. The principal damage done by Geomys is in meadows, and 
“G 87——29 
