Rieti 
. 4 
450 REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, ae 
if Thomomiys lives neither in meadows or fields, which is the case so far as I shave Fi 1% 
observed, they are practically harmless. Their food here seems to include nearly : 
every plant that they find, but they show a decided preference for leguminous 
plants, especially for the roots of Psoralea argophylla and Glycyrrhiza lepidata, 
They also eat the roots of asters and milkweeds. Probably their greatest enemy is 
Putorius longicauda, two of which I caught in their burrows. Bottineau (on west- ~ 
ern border of Turtle Mountain), August, 1887: Numerous (as common as at Pem- 
bina). Feed largely on the roots of Psoralea argophylla, which is abundant. — 
Found places where three of them were at work in a stubble-field, and one of them 
had only thrown up one hill; so they must have come there since the grain was 
cut. Fort Buford, September, 1887: Common, ranging from the water levelin the ~ 
ravines to the tops of the highest hills; often found where there is scarcely any 
vegetation. Deadwood (in northern part of Black Hills), October, 1887: One has 
thrown up hills near here, but I failed to catch it. Rapid City (on eastern edge of 
Black Hillis), November, 1887: Common. For the first time I find them doing 
enough damage to be worth noticing. They range from the lowest ground to the 
tops of the highest hills, but are most numerous on the creek flats, which might be 
called low prairie or high meadow land. This is valuable because it isthe only land 
here that will produce anything worth raising, and most of it is under cultivation 
or else fenced in to protect the wild grass, which grows thick and makes an excel- 
lent quality of hay, probably equal to timothy. it is in these wild, dry meadows 
that Thomomys are most numerous and damaging. The principal damage they do is 
occasioned by covering up the grass with,earth from their holes, and perhaps to 
some extent by cutting off the roots. In one meadow of about 20 acres there were 
10 Gophers, as nearly as I could estimate by their work, and they have thrown out 
on an average about 20 hills each since the hay was cut. Each of these hills covers — 
from 1 to 4 square feet of ground and grass. I have found the works of but one 
in cultivated fields here, and that was near the edge. 
Montana.—Tilyou’s Ranch, Dawson County, September and October, 1887: Com- 
mon everywhere. Stage road from Miles City, Mont., to Deadwood, Dak., October, 
1887: Hills common all the way. 
DESCRIPTION OF LOCALITIES VISITED BY VERNON BAILEY DURING 
THE SUMMER OF i887. 
Heron Lake, Jackson County, Minn. 
Heron Lake. in Jackson County, Minn.,is a very irregular body of water, about 
14 miles in extreme length, and varying from a narrow channel to 3 miles in width. 
It is very shallow, being nowhere more than 6 feet deep. The bottom is clay. 
Along the southwest side, and occupying a large space between the north and 
south divisions of the lake, is a great field of reeds (Phragmites communis). In 
some places the reeds are tall and dense ; in others scattering and interspersed with 
coarse grasses, flags, and rushes, all growing in water from 6 inches to 2 feet deep. 
At some seasons the marsh is nearly dry. Its area is about equal to that of the 
lake. Several creeks flow into the lake; its outlet is the Des Moines River. 
The surrounding country is gently undulating prairie, which contains numerous 
shallow sloughs. The soil is all clay. Along the east shore of the lake are some 
scattered groves of native timber. The largest, some 8 or 10 acres in area, 1s 
mostly box elder, hackberry,elm,and plum ; some of the trees are 2 feet in diam- 
eter. The rest of the prairie is bare of timber, except the groves of cottonwood ~ 
that have been planted. 
Brown’s Valley, along the boundary between Minnesota and Dakota (partly in 
Traverse County, Minn., and partly in Roberts County, Dak.). 
Brown’s Valley is a continuation of the depression occupied by Big Stone and 
Traverse Lakes, which are now about 4 miles apart, but which evidently at one 
time were one lake,or more likely a river. The valley is about 2 miles wide (as 
are the lakes throughout their length), and but a few feet above the water level. 
Water is said to flow from Travers to Big Stone during spring freshets. By late 
measurements the water level is said to be 9 feet higher in Traverse than Big Stone. 
The lowest parts of the valley flats near the lakes are covered with coarse grass 
and reeds, and in the middle, where higher, with grass, weeds, and thickets of 
snow-berry bushes. 
The Minnesota River is a small, rapid creek, entering the flats from the west 
about 2 miles from the south end of Lake Traverse, It flows through a deep, 
