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Prairie Dog Town

PRAIRIE DOG is a depth, as one of them has been known to pretty and rather curious absorb five barreis of water without being animal, measuring about filled. It is not impossible, however, that sixteen inches in total there might have been a communication length. Its general shape with some other burrow, or that the soil is round and flattish, and the might have been loose and porous, and head is peculiarly flat, giving to suffered the water to soak through its the animal a very remarkable substance. They are dug in a sloping aspect. The fur is grayish-red, direction, forming an angle of about with a grizzled effect, produced forty-five degrees with the horizon, and by the alternate chestnut and after descending for five or six feet they gray color of each hair. The disposition take a sudden turn, and rise gradually of the Prairie Dog is pleasant and sociable, upward. Thousands upon thousands of and the little creature is very susceptible these burrows are dug close to each other, of domestication. It utters a short yelp- and honeycomb the ground to such an ing sound, which bears some resemblance extent that it is rendered quite unsafe for to the bark of a young puppy. Even in horses. captivity it utters this short, impatient The scene presented by one of these yelp, which may generally be extorted "dog towns" or "villages," as the assemfrom the little animal by placing the hand blages of burrows are called, is most curinear the cage. Though so gentle and ous, and well repays the trouble of apaffectionate to its keeper, it dislikes proaching without alarming the cautious strangers; and if their fingers approach little animals. Fortunately for the travthe bars of its house too closely, it barks eller, the Prairie Dog is as inquisitive as at the intruders like an angry squirrel, it is wary, and the indulgence of its and scratches smartly at their hands with curiosity often costs the little creature its its sharp and powerful claws. life. Perched on the hillocks, which In spite of the formidable foes by which mark its town, the Prairie Dog is able to it is attacked, and which take up their survey a wide extent of horizon, and as residence in the very centre of its habi- soon as it sees an intruder, it gives a tations, the Prairie Dog is an exceedingly sharp yelp of alarm, and dives into its prolific animal, multiplying rapidly, and burrow, its little feet knocking together extending its excavations to vast dis- with a ludicrous flourish as it disappears. In all directions a similar scene is enacted.

The burrows are of considerable dimen- Warned by the well-known cry, all the sions, and evidently run to no small Prairie Dogs within reach repeat the call, tances.

H A PRAIRIE DOG "TOWN."