118 The American Naturalist. [February, 
potatoes, they always clean out the hill.” “Sometimes they do 
noticeable damage in a patch of potatoes.” ? 
The greatest damage done by this Gopher, however, is in 
covering small grain and grass with the earth they throw from 
their holes; the injury done in this way, is, in some sections, 
considerable. 
During the latter part of March (1889), I counted, near Rock- 
ford, Iowa, ninety hills, from five to nine inches in height and | 
one to three feet in diameter, thrown up by these Gophers in 
a field of Clover and Timothy. These mounds were all located 
in an area four by five rods in extent. 
Their channels are at times quite straight for some distance ; 
but most usually they frequently bifercate, or are somewhat 
tortuous. 
Little hillocks, averaging from five to eight quarts of earth 
each, are brought to the surface, along the line of work, at irre- 
gular intervals; the distance between them varying from 
twelve inches to five feet. At other times only a single hillock 
will be observed in the vicinity ; the animal filling the burrow 
behind him as he pursues his nocturnal way. lf any channel 
be opened, which has even been closed for a long period, it will 
most usually be filled again very soon, by the Gopher; thus 
showing that, generally, all the underground galleries are 
frequently traversed by their inhabitant. 
The burial mounds of the prehistoric inhabitants of lowa, 
are frequently taken possession of by these Rodents, and the 
bones of the interred often gnawed ; thus giving rise to the sup- 
position, in the minds of some, that this evidences to the canni- 
balistic habits of the originators of these monuments. This 
species lays up large stores of food for winter, such as corn, 
wheat, buckwheat, and other grains, as well as roots and stems — 
of weeds, which are usually cut up into short pieces. i 
The store of food laid up, is generally much greater than 18 
used. Under straw-stacks, on western farms, where the soil is 
not frozen, this Gopher sometimes works all winter. 
It is stated by Mr. Bailey (Joc. cit.) that “ Pocket Gophers work 
mostly by night.” So far as my personal observations extend, 
? Vernon Bailey, U. S. Agricultural Report, 1887,p. 448. 
