230 BULLETIN NO. VII 



be disproven. The female appears to perform most of the work 

 of digging." 



' ' The gophers may be trapped by one familiar with their 

 habits. When a fresh 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." * 



FAMILY LEPORID^E. 



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 (Lagomyidce), 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 

 Hydrochcerus (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 



*C. L. and C. Judson Herrick. Bui. Deuison Univ., vi. 



