344 KiaLETIN Sfi, .UNITEB STAI'ES NATIONAL MUSETTM. 



])()rt of which ns.sci'tion ho has kindly phiced me in possession ol' the 

 foUowinii;' Facts: 



The Jornada del Muerto is a plain 100 miles in length, beginning near Fort Craig, 

 New Mexico, in the north, ending near Rincon, New Mexico, in the south. This 

 /o;-»ad'f lies between the Sierra Cabello and the San Andres Mountains, having an 

 average breadth of about 25 miles. . This waterless tract was formerly traversed at 

 considerable risk, l)eing a short route cutting off a great bend of the Rio Grande. 

 Major Jack Martin, of the California Volunteers, in response to an offer of a sum of 

 money by the United States Government to any person who would find water on 

 this desert, resolved to try and selected the only prairie-dog "town" on the route 

 for the scene of his operations. After sinkmg to the depth of about 90, feet an abun- 

 dance of excellent water was obtained. Martin's well has since received the name 

 of Aleman, and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad has taken the place of 

 the old trail. Several wells have been dug along it, and at various points oh the 

 iornadd, but no sweet water has been discovered, although salt water was occasionally 

 found. 



It is probable that, liivo sheep, these mammals can exist for a con- 

 siderable period without water, althoiioh they drink with avidity when 

 in captivity. 



On the Boundary Survey, when traveling by rail between Fort 

 Worth and El Paso, Texas, February 1, 1892, an area inhal)ited by a 

 large colony of prairie-dogs was crossed near Baird. In Fe))ruary, 

 1892, I visited a colony on the mesa seven luiles northeast of El Paso, 

 Texas, near the present site of Fort Bliss, Texas, and other small 

 colonies were observed farther down the Rio Grande. 



From a letter addressed to me by Dr. Paul Clendennin, dated ''P'ort 

 Davis, Texas, May 27, 1885/"' I extract the following: 



There are lots of prairie-dogs all around the fort. They are very tame indeed, and 

 it is very amusing to watch them. 



The name *" Dog Spring," (Irant County. New Mexico, came origi- 

 nally from the colonies of prairie-dogs in the neighborhood. From 

 three miles west of the Dog Mountains, colonies of prairie-dogs extend 

 all the way to the San Luis Mountains, not (juite reaching the lower tim- 

 ber line. The species is abundant on both sides of the Animas Valley, 

 west of the San Luis Mountains, reaching the timber line on both 

 sides. I rode through a colon}^ ])etwa^en (jage and Separ, New Mexico, 

 April 25, 1885. The ''dogs" were still " barking," although the entire 

 column— a full regiment of cavalry — had ]ust passed through on the 

 same trail. 



While camped at Lang's ranch (Monument No. OH) I experimented 

 in trapping prairie-dogs, and found them about the most difficult 

 rodents to take with steel traps, but there was not the slightest diffi- 

 cult}' in capturing them b}^ means of snares placed around the openings 

 of their burrows. Many badgers were feeding upon the prairie-dogs 

 of the Animas Valley, and hundreds of skulls of the ''dogs'" were 

 scattered about the mounds. 



