THE NORTH AMERICAN PIKA. 729 



it hardly exceeds sixteen inches. The fur of this animal is soft and warm, 

 and from the contrasting colors of black, white, and golden brown, pre- 

 sents a very handsome appearance. 



The family LAGOMYEDES consists of small Alpine and desert animals 

 which range from the south of the Ural Mountains to Cashmere and the 

 Himalayas, at heights of eleven thousand to fourteen thousand feet, and 

 northward to the Polar regions. In America they are confined to the 

 Rocky Mountains from about forty-two to sixty degrees north latitude. 



GENUS LAGOMYS. 



This solitary genus is divided into eleven species. The animals com- 

 prised in it have the dentition of the hare, are nearly tailless, and have 

 the form of the Auicolce. Hence the generic title which means Hare- 

 Mouse. 



The North American Pika, Lagomys princcps, is often called the 

 " Little Chief Hare." It is about seven inches in length, of a grayish- 

 brown color, varied with black and yellowish-brown. These animals 

 range along the summits of the Rocky Mountains near the forest line. 

 They do not wander far from their homes, and are very timid, retreating 

 at the slightest alarm. They are not hares in any of their habits, but sit 

 up like marmots or prairie dogs. 



The Alpine Pika, Lagomys Alpinus, has been described by Pallas, 

 Radde, and Przewalski. It is found on all the mountain heights of Inner 

 Asia, and occurs even in Kamschatka. It prefers woody regions, and 

 avoids the bare high steppes. In the latter it is replaced by a species 

 named Otogono, Lagomys otogono. This species lives in clefts in the 

 rocks or in burrows that it digs. Usually large numbers of these subter- 

 ranean dwellings are found together, so that when one Pika is discovered 

 hundreds or thousands are not far off. During the winter they do not 

 come above-ground ; in summer, too, when the weather is bright, they 

 keep concealed, but on a dull day they are active. They are active and 

 industrious creatures, and collect large quantities of hay which they 

 shelter from the rain by a covering of leaves. They make runs under 

 the snow from their burrows to their haystacks, and have the precaution 

 of supplying each run with an air-hole. They have many enemies. 

 Every bird or beast of prey attacks them. In hard winter the Mongols 

 feed their horses with the fodder the poor Otogono have collected. 

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