22 



POCKET GOPHERS OF THE UNITED STATES. 



killed all the Gophers. We have a few weasels yet, but do not know 

 how long they will stay. As Gopher exterminators they have done 

 well/' 



Notwithstanding these facts weasels are almost universally con- 

 demned, and killed whenever opportunity offers. 



The bull snake or gopher snake, which often attains a length of more 

 than 6 feet and is heavily built, enters a hole that by accident may 

 have been left open, and, following the Gopher to the end, swallows 

 him. Mr, B. H. Dutcher, a field naturalist of the division, contributes 

 an interesting account of a case that fell under his observation at 

 Cairo, Kaus. He says: "On going to my gopher traps one morning 

 I found that one of them had been drawn 3 or 4 inches into the 

 burrow. Taking hold of the chain I attempted to pull out the trap, 

 but met with a steady resistance somewhat greater than that of which 

 I considered a Gopher capable. Increasing the strain, the opposing 

 force was suddenly removed and the trap emerged from the hole, with 

 a dead Gopher in its jaws. On examination, the hind end of the Gopher 

 for about half its length was found to be wet and covered with slime. 

 Surmising •snake,' I proceeded to my next trap, some 30 or 40 feet 

 away, where I found that a similar tragedy had takeu place, Here a 

 large yellow bull snake (Pituophis), perhaps 5 feet long, had either 

 pushed or pulled the Gopher from the hole some 2 or 3 feet, and had 

 then proceeded to try to swallow him. He had succeeded in his efforts 

 until the Gopher's neck was reached, where an unexpected obstacle 

 was encountered in the trap, the jaws of which were tightly clasped 

 just behind the head. When found, the snake was tying himself up 

 into knots in vain endeavors to engulf the trap also. On my seizing 

 the trap chain and trying to pull his prey away from him, the snake 

 suddenly loosened his hold and quickly drew his head away from the 

 Gopher." 



In one instance only have I found a full-grown Gopher in the stomach 

 of one of these snakes, but the fact that they habitually feed on them 

 gives the snake its name. Notwithstanding the fact that these snakes 

 are known to be perfectly harmless, most people kill them at every 

 opportunity. 



From time to time it is announced that Gophers may be killed or 

 driven away by the use of a certain plant supposed to be poisonous or 

 exceedingly distasteful to them. Wherever this plant is grown, Gophers 

 it is said, cease their depredations. So important is this matter that it 

 has been investigated by the agricultural experiment station of the 

 University of California. 



From this study it appears that the plant is well known in gardens, 

 both here and abroad. It is cultivated on account of its ornamental 

 flowers and fruit and is known as the giant spurge, false caper, or cross 

 of .Malta ( Euphorbia lathyris). In parts of Europe thefruit is used for 

 pickling. The spurge lias a milky juice and is somewhat poisonous, 



