52 



tion soon realized quite a large sura from the sale of these little 

 animals, which he captured in the manner above described. 



Many of the burrows of prairie dogs have a raised, funnel-shaped 

 entrance, varying- in height from a few inches to a foot or more. 

 These have been called their "forts," and the dog sitting in the en- 

 trance defiantly barking has been compared to a sentinel on guard. 

 The object, however, of these raised entrances is sufficiently obvi- 

 ous, these embankments being formed to keep out the water, which 

 in violent rains soon covers the whole surface of the ground. Often 

 the holes are situated in very slight depressions, and would hence be 

 filled by the drainage into them, were they not thus protected; and 

 under these circumstances the embankments are generally higher than 

 when the holes are in this respect more favorably situated. They are 

 formed of earth scraped up from the surface outside the hole, and are 

 symmetrical in shape, very hard and smooth. These embankments, 

 or "forts," are seen in greatest perfection when the site of the "vil- 

 lage" is on low or very flat land ; they are always kept in excellent re- 

 pair as long as the burrows are inhabited. In Ijhe excavation of their 

 holes the earth is all disposed of without bringing it to the surface. 



In winter, during fine weather, the prairie dog villages present as 

 active and populous an appearance as in summer, the dogs only retir- 

 ing for a few days at a time during the continuance of the severest 

 weather. 



25. Erethizon dorsafus, var. epfizaratlius. Porcupine. 

 A few are reported still to occur on the Paradise. Formerly more 

 or less frequent on all the wooded streams. 



,K IMP III IKE. 



2O. I<epllS sylvaflcus. Gray Rabbit. Abundant, not only 

 near the streams but quite distant from timber. Many were seen 

 about the military post at Fort Hays, making their homes in the piles 

 of wood in the woodyard at the post. 



27. I^epias camposti'is. Prairie Hare. A few seen in sum- 

 mer on the plains north of Fort Hays, and in winter from the western 

 border of the state as far east as Bunker Hill Station. They were 

 quite 'often met with in December and January near the north western 

 border of the state. About half of those obtained during these 

 months still retained their summer color. 



8. I^pliS CitlHofis. Jackass Rabbit. We obtained this 

 species at Cheyenne, and I have good authority for its occurrence in 

 Eastern Colorado and the western part of Kansas. 

 [To be continued.} 



