CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 257 
General habits of prairie dogs 258 
Time of birth and number of young 260 
Mounds and burrows 260 
Natural enemies 262 
Kecent increase and spread of prairie dogs 263 
Food 264 
Destructiveness 264 
Popular interest in the destruction of prairie dogs 265 
Methods of destruction , _ : 265 
Obstacles and difficulties of exterminatio]! 269 
Prairie dogs on Nantucket 269 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
PLATES. 
Plate XXII. The plains prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus) 258 
XXIII. Mounds of the plains prairie dog: Fig. 1. — Normal mound in 
new ground (alfalfa field). Fig. 2. — Mound repaired by scrap- 
ing up earth from the outside. Fig. 3. — Inside of rim of mound, 
showing nose marks 260 
XXIV. Mounds of the plains prairie dog: Fig. 1. — Mound in flooded 
ground, showing protection from rains. Figs. 2 and 3. — New 
mound in alfalfa field 264 
TEXT FIGURES. 
Fig. 24. Distribution of plains prairie dog ( Cynomys ludovicianus) 257 
25. Prairie-dog burrow 261 
II 
