106 SPOET EST NORTH AMERICA. 



moreover, that they are not frightened at the day- 

 light, as their compeers are. Some naturalists, 

 however, mamtain that the owls only take refuge in 

 the excavated holes when the prairie dogs have 

 abandoned them. The sensibilities of these crea- 

 tures is said to be so acute, that when one dies, 

 the whole community abandons the place. Others 

 declare that the owl is a protector, sentinel, and 

 even preceptor to the young marmots, whom he 

 teaches how to cry out, even hefore they are hurt. 



With regard to the rattle -snake, he is said to be 

 more ungrateful, for he accepts the shelter of the 

 marmot, and occasionally helps himself to a little 

 one when he is hungry. Some weeks after the 

 last adventm'e, returning to St. Louis, we met 

 close to the camp, an immense "town" of prairie 

 dogs, in a valley formed by two limestone rocks, not 

 far from a spring which rose among the rocks, and 

 supplied a silvery stream, which irrigated the whole 

 length of the valley. The noise of our horses had 

 terrified all the inhabitants of the subterranean 

 city ; only two enormous owls were perched on an 

 immense hillock of earth, as if they wished to know 

 who it was who invaded their territory. As bold 

 and fierce as fighting-cocks they seemed to defy 

 every danger. Their large eyelids were wide open, 

 and displayed eyes of phosphorescent brightness. 

 They were horned owls, and certainly looked like 

 the guardians of a deserted necropolis. They 



