270 YEARBOOK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
alarmed and feared the animals would overrun the whole island. Mr. 
Outram Bangs wrote in December, 1899, that when on a visit to the 
island during the summer and fall of the same year he counted 200 
prairie dogs visible at one time in one colony, and states that three or 
four such colonies existed, besides many scattering pairs and small 
colonies. A specimen sent the Biological Survey by Mr. Bangs proves 
to be the plains species {Cynomys ludoviciaiius)^ in rather red pelage, 
and probably came from some point on the Great Plains between 
western Kansas and Texas. 
W. W. Xeifert, writing from Nantucket, under date of Februar}' 12, 
1900, states that ten years previously two pairs of prairie dogs were 
brought to the island, where the^^ multiplied so rapidly "that the}^ are 
now counted bv thousands, and are a dangerous pest and nuisance, 
desti'oying crops and lields;" also, that ''at a recent town meeting a 
committee was appointed with a view of exterminating them and an 
appropriation of 8350 was made to procure poison." In a subsequent 
letter, Mr. Neifert writes: ''In addition to the §350 raised by the 
town, about §200 was subscribed by farmers and others interested. 
The poisoning scheme Avas adopted, and bisulphide of carbon was the 
drug. A bunch of old rags was saturated and placed in the mouth of 
the burrow and the hole closed with dirt or sod. This method was 
simple and inexpensive but did the work successfully, and now there 
is not a dog left to tell the tale." 
