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pens) they are then rarely obtainable, and even when thus knocked 

 over by the force of the missile, they will often wriggle into their 

 holes before they can be secured. Their holes usually descending 

 nearly vertically for several feet, they commonly slip down out of 

 reach, though killed instantly. Occasionally, however, the holes slope 

 sufficiently to allow them to lodge a few feet from the entrance, when 

 they may be reached by means of a common gun-rod, and drawn out 

 by twisting the wormer of the rod into their tough hides. In this 

 way Mr. Bennett and myself one day secured seven in the space of a 

 couple of hours at Fort Hays, though we had been many times 

 assured it would be impossible to get them by shooting them. But 

 this was unusual success, as ordinarily not more than one in six of 

 those killed could be secured. 



The prairie dogs are easily tamed, and make amusing, though at 

 times rather mischievous, pets. A variety of food seems to please 

 their palates, and whenever they can get at some Delicacy in the 

 pantry or storehouse they are sure to carry away large quantities. 

 They also have a propensity to carry away articles for which they 

 have no use. The mode of capturing them is usually to "drown them 

 out" by filling their holes with water. This method is always labo- 

 rious, requiring often many barrels of water, which has to be trans- 

 ported with teams, and is not always successful, owing to the exten- 

 sive ramifications or intercommunication of their burrows. Occa- 

 sionally advantage is taken of temporary pools of water left standing 

 after heavy rains, the water being conducted into the holes by means 

 of trenches. A more effective and ingenious way, however, has of 

 late been adopted. This consists in placing a barrel, from which 

 both heads have been removed, over the entrance of an inhabited 

 burrow, and partially filling it with straw. When the animal comes 

 out he burrows up through the straw, which he unwittingly presses 

 so compactly behind him that he cannot descend through it, and thus 

 remains a prisoner in the barrel above the straw. 



A gentleman whom we met at Cheyenne, by carefully studying the 

 habits of the prairie-dog, had discovered a method of capturing 

 these animals alive by the use of water with comparatively little 

 trouble. Their burrows usually have two entrances, one of which 

 descends almost vertically and the other by a considerable slope. 

 Often a single bucket of water poured suddenly into the vertical end 

 of the hole, causes the animal to rush out in great surprise at the 

 other entrance, where it is captured in a bag held over the hole. -When 

 the railroad first reached Cheyenne, and for some time after, these 

 animals were in great demand by the passengers as objects of curi- 

 osity, and sold readily for ten dollars a pair. The prairie dogs being 

 very numerous on the plains about Cheyenne, the gentleman in ques- 



