230 BULLETIN NO. VII 
bedisproven. The female appears to perform most of the work 
of digging.” 
“The gophers may be trapped by one familiar with their 
habits. When afresh mound is found this should be opened 
so that direct daylight falls into the burrow. Then a second 
opening is made along the trend of the passage about eighteen 
inches from the first. The opening is carried a few inches 
below the level of the run-way and in it a small steel trap is 
placed. The trap is carefully covered with light earth to the 
level with the run-way and the light completely excluded from 
the second opening. The success of the plan depends upon the 
dislike of the gopher for light. He at once brings a fresh sup- 
ply of earth to stop up the opening and being blinded by the 
light does not observe the second excavation. If the latter 
presents any irregularities, however, he immediately deposits 
the load there and barricades the burrow at that point.” * 
Famity LEPORID~. 
HARES. 
This small and well-defined family is pre-eminently North 
American and our own state contains parts of two rather dis- 
tinct faunas, though only three species are as yet known. 
The geographical distribution of the family, taken in con- 
nection with that of other rodents, is puzzling. South America 
is richer than any other continent in rodentia and yet the single 
species of hare found within it is more than probably derived 
more or less directly from the North American group. More 
than this, the pikas (Lagomyide), which seem to be the closest 
living allies of the hares, were circumpolar in their distribution 
in comparatively recent times, though now represented by a 
single American and six Asiatico-European species. On the 
other hand, it is true that South America contains a variety of 
curious rodents specialized in different directions. Here, for 
example, are springing, hare-like animals with long squirrel- 
like tails, others resembling antelopes in form and possessing 
hoof-like claws (Dolichotis). The Guinea pigs and the hog-like 
_ Hydrocherus (capybara) make up with these a curious and 
suggestive assemblage of forms from among which it may be 
possible to glean evidences of the common stock from which 
rs) L. and C. Judson Herrick. Bul, Denison Univ., vi. 
