36 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



are almost waterproof and a long season of 

 rains is necessary before they become damp 

 inside. Prospectors and cattlemen often go to 

 these nests to get dry fuel during wet weather. 



The Indians are very fond of these animals 

 for food, and if they do not use them now as 

 formerly it is because they are ashamed to eat 

 them, knowing the prejudice of the whites 

 toward rats as food. The animals are captured 

 by setting fire to the mounds of sticks. Even 

 when the nests are fired, the wood rats are as a 

 rule reluctant to leave them and many perish 

 in the flame. One would think that the smoke 

 alone would drive them out. 



The Hopi Indians, who call a species common 

 in their region "kee-hua' cahl'-a," account the 

 flesh as one of the greatest delicacies. Physi- 

 cians of northern Mexico "commonly order 

 broth made from the wood rat for the Indians 

 and peasants whom they are called upon to 

 treat just as our physicians prescribe chicken 

 broth and beef tea." Dr. Mearns tells us that 

 he found many charred bones of this rat in 

 the ancient cave dwellings in the Verde Val- 

 ley, showing that the neotomas were prob- 



