PRAIRIE DOGS. 109 



Deer-meat at this season of the year is very poor eatinor, — especially 

 that of the buck, — it being both lean and tough ; but, indiiferent as it was, 

 we were too hungry to be nice. 



Previous to reaching camp I rode along the base of a small mountain, 

 some distance to the right of the main party, in quest of game ; there I 

 caught glimpse of the first panther I had yet met with. Jumping from my 

 horse, I thought to give him a passing shot, — but he, neither liking my 

 looks nor the smell of gunpowder, made hasty retreat to his mountain 

 home. 



Passing leisurely on, my course led through a large village of prairie- 

 dogs, which reminds me of having heretofore neglected a description of 

 these singular animals. 



I am at a loss to imagine what it is in the habits or looks of the prairie- 

 dog that entitles him to that appellation. 



In appearance and size he more approximates a large species of the 

 sciurus family, commonly called the fox-squirrel, than anything I can name. 

 His tail, however, is but an inch and a half long, while his ears and legs 

 are also short ; — as a whole, perhaps, he is a trifle larger and more corpu- 

 lent than the fox-squirrel. His " bark " is precisely like the occasional 

 chatterings of that animal, and his color is of a brownish red. 



His habits are quite inofTensive and lead him to procure his food from 

 roots and grass. Clumsy in his motions, he seldom ventures far from 

 home — fearful of the numerous enemies that beset him on all sides, both 

 from birds and beasts of prey. 



These animals congregate together in large villages, and dig their bur- 

 rows adjoining each other ; — the dirt thrown from them often forming cone- 

 like elevations three or four feet high, in whose tops are the entrances. 

 The latter are nearly of a perpendicular descent for two feet, and then 

 slope away to a great distance under ground. 



These villagers locate without regard to the vicinity of water, and it is 

 gravely doubted, by many persons, whether they make the same use of that 

 fluid as other animals ; — I have seen large settlements of them in high arid 

 prairies, at a distance of fifteen or twenty miles from either stream or pool 

 of water, and in regions subject to neither rain nor dews. 



They are keen of sight and scent, and seemed governed by some code of 

 federative regulations for mutual safety. Their guards are regularly posted 

 at the suburbs of every village, whose duty it is to be continually on the 

 alert and give timely warning of the approach of danger. 



This the cautious sentinels discharge by standing erect at the slightest 

 tainture of the air, or startling noise, or strange appearance ; and, having 

 ascertained by careful observations its nature and cause, they sound the 

 sharp yelp and chatter of alarm, in a hurried manner, — then, betaking 

 themselves to the watch-towers that protect the entrances to their burrows, 

 from the verge of the steep parapets they again renew their warning notes, 

 when the whilom busy populace, bcscattered at brief distances for amuse- 

 ment or food, return witii all possible despatch to their ready holes and dis- 

 appear from view. 



The faithful sentinels are last to retreat from their posts, and not unfre" 

 quently maintain their ground at the hazard of individual safety. 



