1 
B22 
VRAIRIE DOG. 
had been out a great part of the night, brought in three of them, but they 
had been killed with very coarse shot, and were so badly cut and torn by 
the charge, that they were of little use to us. We ascertained that these 
marmots are abundant in this part of the country, their villages being 
found in almost every direction. 
From the number of teats in the female, the species is no doubt very 
prolific. _ 1 o 1 
On our return down the river, we killed two Prairie Dogs on the 23d 
of August, their notes resembled the noise made by the Arkansas flycatch- 
er precisely. 
We have received an interesting letter from Col. Abert of the Topo- 
graphical bureau at Washington City, giving us an account of the quadru- 
peds and birds observed by Lieut. Abert, on an exploratory journey m the 
south-west, in New Mexico, &c. Lieut. Abert observed the Prairie Dogs 
in that region of country, in the middle of winter ; he says “ our Prairie 
Dog (a marmot) does not hibernate, but is out all winter, as lively and as 
pert as on any summer day.” 
This is not in accordance with the accounts of authors, who ha\ e it t lat 
this animal does hibernate. We find it stated that it “closes accurately the 
mouth of the burrow, and constructs at the bottom ot it a neat globular 
cell of fine dry grass, having an aperture at top sufficiently large to 
admit a finger, and so compactly put together that it might almost be roll- 
ed along the ground uninjured.” We feel greatly obliged to Lieut. Abert, 
for the information he gives us, which either explodes a long received error, 
or acquaints us with a fact of some importance in natural history— that 
changes of climate will produce so great an effect as to abrogate a provi- 
sion of nature, bestowed upon some animals, to enable them to exist during 
the rigorous winters of the north ; so that, by migrating to a warmer region, 
species that would, in high latitudes be compelled to sleep out half their 
lives, could enjoy the air and light, and luxuriate in the sense of “ being 
alive” all the circling year ! We have not been able to gather any in- 
formation in relation to this subject since receiving the above-mentioned 
letter, but in our article on Arcioniys monax, (vol. i., p. 20) some curious facts 
were related in respect to the effect of artificial heat, applied from time to 
time to that animal, when in a torpid state, which produced each time a 
temporary animation ; thus shewing that a certain absence of caloric 
causes hibernation immediately, while its presence arouses the powers of 
life in a few minutes. The special construction of hibernating animals is 
not (as far as we have ascertained) yet explained by the researches of com- 
parative anatomy. 
Lewis and Clark give a very good description of the Prairie Dog, at 
