1936] MAMMALS OF OREGON 243 



drop of good water could be squeezed out of each capsule between 

 the thumb and finger, and half a dozen of these would furnish a 

 good drink for a gnome, besides a good lunch on the ripening seeds. 

 The cheek pockets of the one specimen taken were empty but its 

 stomach contained, besides a bit of rolled oats and some other seeds, 

 some of the green pulp and black seeds of these Mentzelia capsules ; 

 bits of the refuse of the capsules were also found in one of the 

 burrows ; and it was evident that this was one of their principal foods 

 at that season, as it was also of the kangaroo rats and pocket mice. 

 One of the kangaroo rats had its pockets stuffed full of the ripe 

 and green capsules. Many other little plants were full of seeds, 

 and many tender shoots, bulbs, and tubers were to be found just 

 below the surface of the ground. There was no lack of food and 

 water for these desert dwellers, even if it did not rain again all 

 summer. 



Living in the dry, hot, sandy desert they might be supposed to 

 be very thirsty animals, but as they are out only at night when the 

 air close to the ground is moist and cool, and spend the daytime 

 in closed burrows a foot below the surface in a cool, moist atmos- 

 phere, they probably do not require a great amount of water and the 

 little they need can be readily secured at any time from their food. 

 Several burrows were dug out in the hope of learning more of the 

 habits of the occupants; but in only one was the owner at home, 

 and it ran with such lightning speed from bush to bush that only 

 a buffy streak on buffy sand marked its course. The burrow entered 

 the ground, beside a bunch of sagebrush, had several pockets or 

 little rest rooms a foot below the surface, and came out on the other 

 side about 4 feet away. The doorway was securely closed from 

 within by fresh sand pushed out after the animal entered, and the 

 occupant escaped by merely breaking out through the thin crust 

 on the other side as the writer dug in along the line of the burrow. 

 In this case there was no nest material, and the clean, soft sand may 

 be pleasanter to the furry feet and soft fur coat of the gnome in its 

 cave than would be a soft warm winter nest. Neither were any food 

 stores found, for the ample cheek pockets provided enough storage 

 room for 1 day's lunches, and the season was too early for the winter 

 storing to have begun. 



Two other burrows dug out did not have closed doors and con- 

 tained no occupants, but were of the same simple plan, one about 

 4 and the other 6 feet long, and dipped about a foot below the 

 surface. It is probable that more elaborate burrows are provided for 

 winter. 



In trapping for specimens it often happens that few of these 

 little animals are taken even where they are fairly abundant, and this 

 is due to two causes. (1) It often seems that they do not care for 

 the bait offered them as they are getting an abundance of certain 

 seeds, which they prefer to anything else. (2) They are so light, 

 so skillful, and delicate in touch, and such dainty feeders, that they 

 may not spring the traps even when they take all the bait. Their 

 bodies are so light and the soles of the teet so soft and hairy that 

 only the most delicate trap will be sprung as they step on it, in case 

 they do not entirely avoid it. Before good series of specimens are 

 readily secured it will be necessary to modify some small trap, to 



