THE PRAIRIE GOPHER. 



The subject of the present history is one of a large group of 

 small quadrupeds inhabiting the western half of North America, 

 from Mexico to the Arctic Ocean, as well as a large portion of 

 the northern hemisphere in the Old World. They belong to the 

 family of the squirrels (Sciuridce) ; in fact, they are squirrels mod- 

 ified in a particular way for a terrestrial instead of arboreal mode 

 of life. We are all familiar with the common little chipmunk 

 of the eastern states, Tamias striates, and know that, on com- 

 parison with a true tree squirrel, it differs in having a shorter and 

 less bushy tail, in possessing large cheek pouches, etc. Now 

 Tamias is just one step away from Sdurus towards the genus 

 Spermophilus; and this genus is the group to which the prairie 

 gopher belongs. In fact Tamias and Spermophilus very nearly 

 run together, so gradual is the transition anions n 10 several spe- 



ve it a blunter muzzle. 

 Iteration in its fore-feet, so that it c M ,ii-r 



close, cut off about a third of 



better, we should have a pretty good spermophile, to all int< 

 and purposes. A little further change in the same points wo 

 make a prairie dog, which is a kind of spermophile, though 1 

 placed in a different genus (Cynomys). An extreme of modif 

 , gives us the squat, heavy wo 



chucks, Arctot 



the lithe graceful 



squirrels we see that the chain of beings is unbroken. We see 

 now just the links which the spermophiles furnish. They are ter- 

 restrial, fossorial, gregarious squirrels — by which I mean that 

 they live sociably in burrows under ground. The broad prairie 



places, yet they rarely, if ever, climb trees, and are onl^at home 

 in perfectly open ground. This fact alone determines their geo- 

 graphical distribution. Only two species are found at all east of 

 the Mississippi, and these too haunt the prairie. But thev oeeur 

 in profusion from the plains to the Pacific, from Mexico northward. 

 Now that we have some idea of the animals, the next thin<r 



