THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 463 



May 1. This morning was a beautiful one; our run 

 last night was about thirty miles, but as we have just 

 begun this fine day, I will copy here the habits of the 

 Touched Rats, from my notes on the spot at old Mr. 

 Chouteau's, and again at St. Louis, where I kept several 

 .alive for four or five days: — 



Plantation of Pierre Chouteau, Sen., four miles, west of 

 St. Louis, April 13, 1843. I came here last evening in 

 the company of Mr. Sarpy, for the express purpose of pro- 

 curing some Pouched Rats, and as I have been fortunate 

 enough to secure several of these strange creatures, and 

 also to have seen and heard much connected with their 

 habits and habitats, I write on the spot, with the wish 

 that no recollection of facts be passed over. The present 

 species is uncommonly abundant throughout this neighbor- 

 hood, and is even found in the gardens of the city of St. 

 Louis, upon the outskirts. They are extremely pernicious 

 animals to the planter and to the gardener, as they devour 

 every root, grass, or vegetable within their reach, and 

 burrow both day and night in every direction imaginable, 

 wherever they know their insatiable appetites can be 

 recompensed for their labor. They bring forth from five 

 to seven young, about the 25th of March, and these are 

 rather large at birth. The nest, or place of deposit, is 

 usually rounded, and about eight inches in diameter, being 

 globular, and well lined with the hair of the female.' This 

 nest is not placed at the end of a burrow, or in any par- 

 ticular one of their long galleries, but oftentimes in the 

 road that may lead to hundreds of yards distant. From 

 immediately around the nest, however, many galleries 

 branch off in divers directions, all tending towards such 

 spots as are well known to the parents to afford an abun- 

 dance of food. I cannot ascertain how long the young 

 remain under the care of the mother. Having observed 

 several freshly thrown-up mounds in Mr. Chouteau's gar- 

 den, this excellent gentleman called to some negroes to 



