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Sierra Club Bulletin 



here and there among the rocks. Investigation showed the 

 cause of the disturbance to be a least weasel. From the dis- 

 turbance which these conies made, it was inferred that they had 

 recognized the weasel as an enemy and were doing their best to 

 spread the alarm among their neighbors. It is improbable that 

 birds of prey, hawks and owls, levy much toll, because of the 

 protected situation in which the cony lives ; and there are no 

 large snakes to search out and devour the animals, as would be 

 the case if the latter lived at lower altitudes. 



Conies seem to be most active during the early morning and 

 evening hours ; but they evince more or less activity at all times 

 of the day, and they have been heard "bleating" on moonlight 

 nights. They seem to enjoy coming out and running about or 

 sitting on their observation-posts just as the afternoon shadows 

 have begun to creep over the rock-sHdes. Sometimes they will 

 sit quietly for considerable periods of time, and the observer 

 must do likewise if he expects to catch sight of them. 



As yet information concerning the breeding habits of the Yo- 

 semite cony is rather meager. We know that three or four 

 young are produced at a time. The breeding season would seem 

 to be rather extended, as in mid- July, 191 5, young two-thirds to 

 three-fourths grown were already abroad, while a number of 

 the females had not yet given birth to their young. The young 

 conies are notably precocious, and, like rabbits, begin to forage 

 independently by the time they are only one- fourth to one-third 

 grown. 



To the critical reader the account here given will seem super- 

 ficial and fragmentary, but it contains all we were able to find 

 out during the few weeks spent by us in the home of the cony. 

 A fascinating field for additional discovery lies at the disposal 

 of those persons more fortunate than we who are able to visit 

 the High Sierra year after year. The Sierra Club member who 

 is not intent merely upon estabhshing a record in miles of trail 

 covered will find in the painstaking study of the habits of the 

 cony, as also of many another animal of the high mountains, 

 enough to afford enjoyable and productive recreation for 

 many summers. 



Berkeley, California, October 10, igi6 



