House-Bearing Reptiles. 203 



about four feet long and expanding into a spacious apart- 

 ment. In each burrow resides a single pair of Gophers. By 

 day the Gophers keep close house, but by night they wander 

 out in search of food, devouring yams, melons, corn and other 

 garden produce. They dislike wet weather, and always go 

 in-doors when it rains. Gophers' eggs, which are as large as 

 pigeons' eggs, and also their flesh, are highly esteemed as 

 articles of diet by the negroes. 



In Europe, a near cousin of the Gopher is kept about the 

 house for a pet. If allowed, in the autumn, to find his way 

 into a garden, he digs a hole and hibernates, coming out in 

 the spring. An English lady had one of these animals which 

 lived in the kitchen. He was fond of creeping into the fire- 

 place and getting under the grate, where he would content- 

 edly lie until the hot coal and ashes dropped upon his back 

 and burnt his shell. When winter came this little creature 

 wanted to take his long sleep, and dug so persistently into 

 baskets, drawers, boxes and closets, that finally a box of 

 earth was given to him, into which he worked his way until 

 out of sight, and there he remained until April sun and 

 showers called him from his winter retreat. His fare was 

 potatoes, carrots, turnips and bread and milk, which he 

 especially liked. 



