16 
WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
AN ODD DOG. 
The animal most characteristic of the plains, 
and almost the only one to hold his own against 
encroaching civilization, is the “Prairie Dog.” 
Interesting at first sight, he improves on ac- 
quaintance. His dried skin we had handled 
“ many a time and oft,” in selecting specimens 
among the many hundreds which fill our •‘Rodent” 
drawers, and, although it bore a tag with the 
imposing title Cynomys ludovitianus, yet it must 
be confessed we did not then feel for him the 
respect which we have come to entertain since 
firing seventeen shots to secure one “Dog.” 
Our first acquaintance with the “ Prairie Dog” 
at home, was in a “ town ” on the “ bottoms” of 
the Smoky Hill River, and just across from the 
cattle ranch which was then our headquarters. 
A glass showed us the animals running about at 
all times of day, and soon caused a desire for a 
closer view. Crossing the river a little above 
the town, we cautiously skulk along, gun in 
hand, and under cover of the bank, till opposite 
the “town;” then, doffing our “cow-boy” hat, 
crawl laboriously up till a safe point of observa- 
tion is gained, behind a tuft of grass. It is a 
lively scene that meets our eyes. The “town,” 
commencing a few feet from us, extends forty 
rods or more, nearly to the top of an adjoining 
ridge. Here and there about the holes, or on the 
grass between, are gathered little knots of the 
inhabitants, busily engaged apparently in dis- 
cussing the latest gossip; other individuals are 
out foraging; while one, more tidy than the rest, 
is vigorously cleaning out his front door, the ex- 
cavated dirt rising in a fountain at his rear. 
Numerous Burrowing Owds flap lazily about 
from hole to hole, and here and there a “ dog ” 
raises himself on his haunches to see if the coast 
is clear. An unwary movement on our part and 
we are at once espied ; the warning cry is passed 
along and a general stampede ensues, each “dog” 
putting in his best paces till safe at his own door. 
Now he rises to see what may be the cause of 
this unseemly disturbance. He drops to a crouch- 
ing position as we approach, and sets up an in- 
cessant chatter, to which his tail beats an accom- 
paniment. The chatter increases in vehemence, 
and the agitation in the caudal region has be- 
come really alarming, when suddenly Mr. Cyno- 
mys disappears. A subdued chuckle comes up 
from below as we look into the hole, and all is 
quiet. 
After a few minutes waiting, a sharp “ bark ” 
announces that one individual proposes to know 
what is going on outside. A head appears above 
the rim of a neighboring hole, followed presently 
by others in various directions. Several young- 
sters, tired of confinement, run out, regardless of 
parental remonstrance; but their youth and con- 
sequent imperfection of skeleton protects them. 
One old fellow, however, pays the death penaly 
for his curiosity. Absolute quiet now reigns in 
this portion of the “ town,” and our next victim 
has to be sought in another quarter. A visitor 
returning from a morning call is summarily 
stopped about a yard from his door, and we have 
mentally checked him off as “number two,” 
when up bobs a “dog,” seizes him by the head, 
and when w 7 e recover from our surprise “number 
two” is missing. No more dogs this time, so we 
secure a couple of owls before returning. We 
note that the holes vary from four to eight inches 
in diameter, and are from five to thirty feet apart. 
And right here we would say that the statement 
so frequently made, that “prairie dogs,” bur- 
rowing owls and rattlesnakes share the same 
hole, is entirely untrue, as each lives by himself. 
The owl occupies a deserted “ dog ” burrow, and 
is apparently on good terms with the former 
occupants. The advent of a rattlesnake, on 
the other hand, causes consternation among the 
villagers. The snake occupies sometimes a 
deserted burrow, and sometimes a hole of its 
own. The entrance to the latter is often so 
small as barely to admit the occupant; but that 
the space within is less limited is evident, for 
the snake’s tail no sooner disappears from the 
entrance than his head is on guard there. It is 
unpleasant to spoil a nice story, but these tales 
of the “happy family” of the prairie must be 
set dowm as among the natural histoiy fables. 
A. B. B. 
Our Prices. 
We are in the main fortunate in being able to 
obtain and hold the confidence of our clients in 
the various points on which we are questioned 
or consulted by them. This is perhaps especially 
the case when we undertake to define the exact 
quality of any particular specimen which a party 
may contemplate purchasing from or selling to 
us. But when it comes to the matter of the 
prices for objects or series of objects, our clients, 
particularly those from the Western States, often 
seem to think either that w r e do not know our 
own mind or that we are not frank in stating its 
decisions. 
One client “expects a large reduction.” An- 
other reminds us that he has bought of us for a 
hundred or two dollars at some time in the past, 
and “ shall expect at least ten per cent, discount 
from our. regular prices.” 
Another says that of this city or of 
that city always gives him twenty or forty or 
sixty per cent. off. 
Another wishes reduction because he buys for 
an Institution of learning. 
Another asks the lowest price for a specific 
object and then cooly answers that he will give 
a less sum. To this latter we never reply further 
in the actual case, and so will not further notice 
him here. But to the others we answer as 
follows, seriatim: 
Our catalogues state clearly in their preface 
what discount, if any, we can make in that class 
of objects. 
Our transactions with all parties are conclu- 
sive at the time of their occurrence; intended to 
be correct in themselves and not to entail subse- 
quent obligations from us or from our patron. 
The party who can buy so much cheaper from 
of city may be aware that he will also 
be getting an article of a proportionately cheaper 
quality. In that case his statement to us is dis- 
ingenuous. But if he can really buy the same 
thing elsewhere cheaper , then we must regret 
tingly renounce the chance of ourselves selling to 
him, and heartily commend him to the other dealer. 
Finally to the Teacher and the Principal of an 
Institution we must say that our material is 
gotten together, and the prices put upon it, 
expressly for them . 
In short, the whole question sums itself up in 
this wise: Our prices are those given in our 
catalogues. In some few instances (notably 
among Minerals and Shells), the price of partic- 
ular specimens may alter either way, usually 
lower, before a new edition of the catalogue can be 
gotten out, or again, and more frequently, the 
species may be represented by specimens of 
different grades of value. In these cases we are 
always glad to give fullest indications as to any 
specimen or number of specimens, and to state 
our prices for the same. Having given these 
prices, we do not care to receive any lower bids. 
If the knowledge that w 7 e deal on this strictly 
one priced plan is to our advantage in sparing us 
much needless and tedious correspondence, it is 
also of value to the purchaser in the fact that 
our prices given under such circumstances are 
'sure to be as low as we can afford. 
H. A. Ward. 
Ward & Howell. 
WE GET TWO MOOSE. 
Nova Scotia, Dec., 1883. 
friend Ward: — i hav got the Bui moos and 
yung Cow. Shea is about fiv months old. i 
will geat the ful growne Cow as soon as i can. 
i want to send them on as soon as i can get them 
readay. pleas send me some Gardes to put on 
the Boxes. Yours trulay, 
Wm. H. H . 
We are verj 7 glad to get these, and also expect 
eagerly the “ful growne Cow.” 
Moose are becoming very rare indeed on our 
northern frontier, and apparently but a few years 
will elapse before they will be quite unobtainable. 
Every large museum in America should possess 
a nicely mounted specimen of this, the tallest 
and statliestof American Mammals. 
We offer the adult Bull Moose at: Skin, $125; 
Mounted, $250. 
A Propos of Nothing. 
In the main room of a leading wholesale 
grocer in St. Louis is a large sign which reads: 
One price for goods will be strictly adhered 
to. And to those in the habit of cheapening 
when purchasing, the following is respectfully 
suggested. Before a dealer can fall in his price 
he must have raised it; before he can take it off 
he must have put it on. 
The Harvey Herbarium. 
In a previous issue of the Bulletin we adver- 
tised the fact that we hold for sale the Herbarium 
of that distinguished botanist, the late Professor 
W. H. Harvey, of Trinity College, Dublin. We 
have had some inquiries about this Herbarium 
from parties considering the question of its pur- 
chase. For its contents we refer to the resume 
given in Bulletin No. 1, Yol. 4. For its char- 
acter, quality and value we can only repeat that 
this is one of the most celebrated botanical col- 
lections which has ever been before the public. 
It long held in Great Britain the position (due to 
its comprehensive fullness) and the reputation 
which Dr. Gray’s celebrated Herbarium at Har- 
vard holds in this country. 
Professor W. H. Brewer, the well-known bot- 
anist and naturalist of Yale College, says: 
“Professor W. H. Harvey was one of the most 
noted botanists in the generation just preceding 
this, and when Systematic Botany was the subject 
of vastly more study than now 7 , and when a large 
number of collectors and explorers were in the 
field gathering in the species for comparison and 
study. He took advantage of the times to gather 
an Herbarium representing the vegetation of 
various lands. He was a standard writer, and 
the results of his work occuppy an important 
place in botanical literature. For such a work 
as his an Herbarium as extensive as the whole 
boundary of science was necessary. Some of the 
very first specimens from Arizona and Southern 
California found their place in this Herbarium. 
(See Bot. California, vol. il, p. 555.) 
This noted Herbarium would be a treasure for 
any college where Systematic Botany is taught. 
Beyond the great expense and the long years 
which were required in its making, it has a 
notable value in connection with the history of 
Botanical Science.” 
We hold this celebrated Herbarium still on 
sale, and the great tin-lined boxes which contain 
its many hundred bundles are so stored that their 
contents may be readily examined by anyone 
who should contemplate purchasing. It is care- 
fully mounted and labelled by Harvey himself, 
and contains no less than seventeen thousand 
species, with a total of over seventy thousand 
specimens. These from all parts of the world. 
For its contents and range, see page 16, Bul- 
letin No. 1, Yol. 4. 
Price of Herbarium, - - - $3,000. 
‘THE AUK,’ published as the Organ of the 
American Ornithologists Union, will be con- 
ducted as a Magazine of Ornithology. In 
general character it will differ little from the late 
‘Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological 
Club,’ of which it forms virtually a Second 
Series. Each number will contain about one 
hundred pages, and the illustrations will occa- 
sionally include colored plates. 
‘The Auk’ will be published under the super- 
vision of Mr. J. A. Allen, Editor-in-Chief, 
assisted by Dr. Elliott Coues, Mr. Robert 
Ridgwat, Mr. William Brewster, and Mr. 
Montague Chamberlain, Associate-Editors. 
Terms:— $3.00 a year, including postage, 
strictly in advance. Single numbers, 75 cents. 
Free to Foreign Members, and to Active Mem 
bers not in arrears for dues. 
Subscriptions and Advertisements should be 
addressed to the publishers, ESTES AND LAU- 
RIAT, Boston, Mass. Foreign Subscribers 
may obtain ‘The Auk’ through J. VAN 
VOORST, 1 Paternoster Row, London. 
. All articles and communications intended for 
publication, and all books and publications for 
notice, should be sent to J. A. ALLEN, Cam- 
bridge, Mass. 
