The under parts are white with some buff. The tail is bicolor, dusky 

 above, whitish below. The total length is about 9 inches, and tail 5.5 

 inches. These animals live in meadows, along the edges of woods, and 

 in shrubby fields, showing a preference for moist places. I have taken 

 them near streams in quite heavy timber in the mountains, and also in 

 open ground along small spring runs. In Colorado the altitudinal range 

 is up to above 9,000 feet. The nests are of grass, sometimes under- 

 ground, sometimes above, in the grass or by small bushes. Five or six 

 young are born in late spring or early summer. The food is seeds and 

 similar material. They hibernate in holes underground, but may come out 

 for a short time in mild weather. 



PORCUPINE. 



Yellow-haired Porcupine (Erothizon epixanthus) is the name of our 

 prickly friend whose work is often seen in the forests in the shape of bare 

 spots on the trunks of trees where the bark has been gnawed away. Some- 

 times the trees are girdled and die, more often the bare places are scattered 

 here and there on the tree and do no permanent harm except possibly by 

 affording opportunities for insect enemies of the tree to begin their de- 

 structive work. With their powerful claws and limbs porcupines are 

 excellent though usually rather slow climbers, yet can scuttle up a tree in 

 fairly lively fashion if alarmed. The bark of trees forms their principal 

 article of diet. They are by preference frequenters of the coniferous 

 forests, but at times wander away and have even been captured on the 

 plains well away from the foothills. The young are from one to four in 



3 ^ 

 K p 



P g 



No. 15. Yellow-haired Porcupine, Erethizon cpixunthum. 



24 



