PARKS — ^NEOTOMA IN SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS 251 
I completed excavation of the other holes and secured seven fine speci- 
mens of this fungus, all strongly aromatic. 1 assumed that these plants 
were desirable for food for the rats and associated the many excava- 
tions which I had been finding with the work of the woodrats. I also 
assumed that there must be some relationship between the location of 
nests and the location of desirable fungi. The conclusion arrived at 
after considerable study, was that where the woodrats were numerous 
the fungi must likewise be abundant. This is well borne out by subse- 
quent discoveries. This particular fungus, genus Gautieria, I have 
never found at any great distance from rat nests. The plants of this 
genus are, in this locality, rarely found less than six inches and fre- 
quently nearly a foot below the surface. They are seldom found in 
any but very dry ground which is firmly packed. This condition 
requires a great amount of digging. When a mature fungus is located 
by a woodrat a hole is excavated until the plant is visible. It is then 
eaten in the hole. I have found many of them partly eaten in the 
holes but have never seen one removed from the hole. It is some feat 
for the rat to stand upon its head and consume such an article of food,. 
The genus Gautieria is found in abundance in normal moist seasons 
in this region from November to July. It is perhaps the most poweiv 
fully aromatic of all the species without being so foul as some are; be- 
yond doubt it is one of the most esteemed of all the fungi and forms 
one of the most important foods for the woodrat. 
In one place the rats opened up a series of holes around the sides 
of a steep, wooded ridge very much as a miner would sink test shafts 
in developing a vein of ore. In this way they followed for considerable 
distances parallel veins of mycelium, opening up holes at intervals of 
two or three feet and consuming the matured fungus at the bottom of 
each. By opening up the exposed veins between these holes a large 
number of plants were collected in their immature stages and which 
had not yet developed an odor. The woodrats seem to ignore the 
plants that have not yet developed to this state of maturity. It is 
solely by the sense of smell that the plants are found. I have seen 
other plants cast aside in the excavations because they lacked an odor. 
There are several other species scattered through these hills in more 
or less abundance which have not been described scientifically and 
which form a very considerable item in the food supply of the rodents. 
These are all strong-odored varieties. They are all more or less buried 
in the soil and humus and are to be found by digging in appropriate 
places. Some are found among the leaves, others beneath the leaves 
JOURNAL OF MAMMALOGY, VOL. 3 , NO. 4 
