20 



MAMMALS IX THEIR REL.\TIOX TO SPOTTED FEVER. 



• POKCUPIXE. 

 ( Ereth izon cpi-ra n th u m . ) 



Porcupines occur sparingly in the mountains on both sides of the 

 valley and occasionally wander down into the bottoms. On a por- 

 cupine caught in an unoccupied cabin at Elk Lake (on Bass Creek) 

 there were two partially engorged adult ticks. These 

 ticks were lost, but they looked like Dennacentor. 



* ROCK coxy: pika. 



( Ochotona princcijs.) 



Rock conies, or '* rock rabbits.'' ^ as they are some- 

 times called in the Bitterroot, occur in the rock slides 

 in the higher parts of the mountains on both sides of 

 the valley. Practically all of the 12 examined were 

 infested with seeds, nymphs, and adults of Ixodes, 

 but none bore fever ticks. 



* SXOWSHOE RABBIT. 



< Lr Jills h'lirdi.) 



Snowshoe rabbits occur in the mountains and in the 

 brushy and timbered parts of the valley. Three spec- 

 imens were examined for ticks and on two of them 

 were found over 1.000 seeds, nymphs, and adults of 

 the rabbit tick {Hcemaphy sails leporis-palustris) . 

 From each of these two, also, an adult fever tick was 

 taken. 



WHITE-TAILED JACK RABBIT. 

 {Lcpus camijcstris.) 



Jack rabbits are common in open country on the 

 east side of the valley south at least to Darby. Xone 

 were seen on the west side, although they occasionally 

 occur there. Xo specimens were taken, but like other 

 rabbits they are known to serve commonly as hosts 

 for ticks. 



* COTTOXTAIL. 



Fig. 11.— Jump- 

 ing: mouse 

 iZapuis prin- 

 ce ps ) . { About 

 I natural size i . 



i S^llJi'ihifjus nuttaUi.) 



Coll entails are common in brushy places in the Bitterroot Valley 

 fi-om ihe river well up into the foothills. Although several were 

 shot in a locality badly infested with ticks, none harbored the pests. 



^ The name *' rock rabbit " is applied also to the cottontail of the valley, and 

 more projjerly, as it is a rabbit and also lives coumionly among rocks. 

 [Cir. 82] 



