298 LEOPARD-SPERMOPHILE. 



Charleston a pair in a cage, that were brought from Missouri by an 

 officer of the army. They were adults, had but recently been captured, 

 and were rather wild. They seemed to keep up a constant angry 

 querulous chattering ; they were fed on various kinds of nuts and 

 grains, but principally on corn-meal and pea or ground-nuts, {Arachis 

 kijpogcBa.) They would come to the bars of the cage and take a nut 

 from the hand, but would then make a hasty retreat to a little box in 

 the corner of their domicile. On our placing a handful of filberts in 

 front of the cage, they at first came out and carried off" one by one to 

 their store-house, but after we had retired so as not to be observed, 

 they filled their pouches by the aid of their paws, and seemed to prefer 

 this mode of transporting their provisions. As we were desirous of 

 taking measurements and descriptions, we endeavoured to hold one in 

 the hand by the aid of a glove, but it struggled so lustily and used its 

 teeth so savagely that we were compelled to let it go. 



This species frequently takes up its residence near the fields and gar- 

 dens of the settlers, and in the neighbourhood of Fort Union and other 

 places, was represented as particularly destructive to the gardens. 



We found the Leopard-Spermophile quite abundant near Fort Union, 

 on the Upper Missouri. Their burrows were made in a sandy gravelly 

 soil, they were never deep or inclined downwards, but ran horizontally 

 within about a foot of the surface of the earth. This difference in habit 

 from those observed by Richardson may be owing to the nature of the 

 different soils. We dug some of their burrows and discovered that the 

 holes ran in all directions, containing many furcations. 



Richardson states that " the males fight when they meet, and in their 

 contests their tails are often mutilated." All the specimens, however, 

 that we obtained were perfect and in good order. 



The Leopard-Spermophile has two more teats than are found in the 

 majority of the species of this genus, and hence it may be expected to 

 produce an additional number of young. Richardson informs us that ten 

 young were taken from a female killed at Carlton House. This was on 

 the 17th May, and we from hence presume that they produce their young 

 soon after this period. 



geographical distribution. 



We have not heard of the existence of this species farther to the north 

 than latitude 55°. It was found by Say at Engineer Encampment on 

 the Missouri ; we found it at Fort Union, latitude 40° 40' ; and it is said 

 to extend along the prairies on the Eastern side of the Rocky Mountains 

 into Mexico. 



