RODENTIA 267 



sum each year to keep them down." 58 Both authors agree that the great 

 increase in the number of prairie-dogs was due to the destruction of 

 their natural enemies, such as coyotes, foxes, wolves, badgers, ferrets, 

 hawks, eagles, owls, snakes, and others, many of which were destroyed 

 wantonly. The chief food of the prairie-dog being grass, with various 

 weeds, it comes into direct competition with cattle, horses and sheep. 

 When "great swarms of grasshoppers were observed" in Texas in 

 1925, they "provided a great feast" for prairie-dogs, which were "out 

 in full force chasing after, catching and eating the grasshoppers." 59 



Experiments at two localities in Arizona show that the Zuni prairie- 

 dogs. (Cynomys gunnisoni zuniensis) destroy 80 per cent of the an- 

 nual crops of grass and forage. 60 It has been said that prairie-dogs 

 occupy 2 per cent of the land in eastern Colorado. 61 It was estimated in 

 that state that 32 prairie-dogs (C. ludovicianus , leucurus and gunni- 

 soni) eat as much grass as would one sheep, 256 eat as much as one 

 cow, and the prairie-dogs on one well populated i6o-acre tract eat 

 as much as eight cows; and in addition they injure field and garden 

 crops. 62 



Prairie-dogs are as cleanly in habit as are squirrels and rabbits, and 

 more so than chickens and hogs. The flesh of young individuals, prop- 

 erly prepared and cooked, is excellent. If people could get rid of the 

 prejudice aroused by the popular name of these animals, and remember 

 always that they are not do'gs, but are closely related to the squirrels, 

 prairie-dogs would add variety to the menu and in some localities would 

 be a valuable source of meat. 



FAMILY GEOMYIDAE POCKET GOPHERS 



The pocket gophers (Thomomys, Geomys and Cratogeomys) rank 

 with the most injurious rodents in agricultural districts where they are 

 abundant. Though the soil turnover resulting from their burrowing 

 operations, as we have already noted, may be an advantage under 

 some circumstances, their mounds amid growing crops of grains and 



58 Bailey, Biological survey of Texas, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 25, p. 90, 1905; No. 

 49, pp. 62-67, 1926. 



09 Whitehead, Notes on prairie-dogs, Journ. Mammalogy, vm, 58, 1927. 



60 Taylor and Lof tfield, Damage to range grasses by the Zuni prairie-dog, U. S. 

 Dept. Agric. Bull. No. 1227, 1924. 



"Payne, The prairie-dog as a range pest, Colorado Agric. Exper. Sta., Press 

 Bull, No. 16, 1903. 



82 Burnett, Report on prairie-dog investigations in Colorado, Office Colorado State 

 Entomologist Circular No. 8, 1913; The prairie-dog situation in Colorado, Circular 

 No. 17, 1915. 



