THE PRAIRIE DOG. 717 



According to popular belief, the three creatures live very harmoniously 

 together ; but careful observations have shown that the snake and the 

 owl are interlopers, living in the burrows because the poor owners can- 

 not turn them out, and finding an easy subsistence on the young Prairie 

 Dogs. A rattlesnake has been killed near a burrow, and when the rep- 

 tile was dissected, a Prairie Dog was found in its stomach. 



From the most recent accounts, it appears that the Prairie Dog does 

 not hibernate, but that it is as fresh and lively during winter as in the 

 heat of summer. 



Prairie Dogs who live far away from any river or stream obtain drink 

 from wells dug by themselves that have concealed openings. No matter 

 what the depth, the dogs will keep digging until they reach water. A 

 frontiersman named Leach, formerly of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, 

 says he knows of one such well two hundred feet deep, and having a 

 circular staircase leading down to the water. Every time a dog wants a 

 drink she descends this staircase, which, considering the distance, is no 

 mean task. 



GENUS ANOMALURUS. 



The five species of this African genus consist of animals which resem- 

 ble Flying Squirrels, but differ from all other members of the family in 

 internal structure. They are found only in the Island of Fernando Po 

 and West Africa. 



