Saltmeadow cordgrass was distributed over much of Transects A 
and C and was found in most of the diggings. Usually it was pro- 
portionally less abundant in the diggings than in the vegetation 
as a whole. This plant was widespread and digging for other food 
species often must have necessarily involved cordgrass rhizomes. 
Saltmeadow cordgrass culms and rhizomes are slender, and certainly 
do not provide a choice food item. Nevertheless, this species 
appears to be a common item of the nutria's diet where it occurs. 
Olney's three-square was represented in a much higher propor- 
tion of diggings than its presence in the vegetation would indicate. 
The large culms and rhizomes appear to provide a favorable source 
of food. Rare three-square plants along Transect B and experi- 
mental plantings of three~-square in the region were quickly uti- 
lized by nutria. 
Big cordgrass also 6ccurred in a larger proportion of diggings 
apd clippings than in vegetation. More than half of the “cane" 
recorded in table XI consisted of big cordgrass. The basal portion 
of the culm of this species is thick and the rhizome stout. The 
data, together with our observations, suggest that among the species 
studied, big cordgrass is a preferred food of nutria. 
Reed is another species with large rhizomes and “basal culms. 
It occurred in a Gewe proportion of diggings but formed a smaller 
portion of the vegetation. Rhizomes and the basal culms of reed 
are relished by nutria, but apparently to a lesser extent than 
those of big cordgrass. Reed formed the smaller part of the "cane" 
19 
