ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



the earth is loosened along the tunnel the ani- 

 mal shovels it back with his long, curved fore- 

 paws; then as he moves along over the dirt, he 

 pushes it back again for some distance with his 

 powerful and muscular hind-feet ; when a small 

 quantity of earth has been pushed behind the 

 miner he turns about and joins his fore-paws 

 before his nose, forming thus a kind of scoop. 

 Then by pushing himself forward with his hind- 

 feet he shoves the dirt before him out of the 

 newly made hall of his underground home. 

 Thus he carries the dirt for a distance of three 

 or four feet; then he makes a new opening 

 through which he throws the loose dirt so 

 rapidly excavated from his tunnel. In this way 

 he always stakes his claim with fresh hillocks, 

 or mounds, as he mines and explores new un- 

 derground regions. 



The gopher is both fearless and independent, 

 never seeming to care whether it be friend or 

 foe who knows his whereabouts. The little 

 mounds are always pushed up in the same way 

 without any attempt to disguise their freshness. 

 If he is met above ground while away from 

 home, he will attack any animal that chances to 

 [208] 



