number, are born with their spiny armament already developed, and are 

 large as compared with the size of the parent. 



In spite of the protecting quills some animals are brave enough or 

 reckless enough to kill and eat porcupines. Mountain lions are said to do 

 it, and other animals may do so. I have seen the remains of porcupines 

 which had been killed and eaten, and evidently the victim had been turned 

 on its back and the belly opened. Beside the damage done to trees porcu- 

 pines are frequently nuisances about cabins, gnawing anything which has 

 been handled by man, apparently attracted by the salty flavor left by 

 perspiration, and cabin floors are often badly damaged by the powerful 

 teeth of these animals. The flesh is palatable, or at least eatable, though 

 personally I can plead guilty to having eaten but one, or my share thereof, 

 a half grown animal which came about our camp at Mud Springs on White 

 River plateau and disturbed our slumbers. As we were out of meat it was 

 decided that a fitting punishment for the animal was for us to eat it. The 

 flesh had a peculiar gamy flavor, different from anything I have ever 

 tasted. Adults are about 36 inches in total length, with tail about 9 

 inches. They may weigh as much as 20 pounds. The quills are overlaid 

 by long guard hairs, and have short hairs mingled with them, and are 

 everywhere on the animal except the nose. They are very loosely held to 

 the skin and pull out readily when the points enter some foreign body 

 such as a dog's nose, for they are barbed and once they have penetrated 

 are difficult to extract. 



MARMOTS OR WOODCHUCKS. 



Once we thought there was but one species of Marmot in Colorado, 

 but an examination of series of specimens has resulted in the separation 

 of our marmots into three forms, all subspecies of the Yellow-bellied Mar- 

 mot, Mnrmota flaviventer. They are the Park Marmot, M. f. luteola, War- 

 ren's Marmot, M. f. \\arreni, and the Dusky Marmot, M. f. obscura. Mr. 



No. 16. Western Woodchuck, Marmotu flnvivonter; half grown young. 

 25 



