The Columbia Democrat

Visited the Village of Prairie Dogs.

Singular habits of these animals.

A reconnoiterer in the interior explores
gives a particular account of his visit to
the Canine Republic on the prairies of that
beautiful region. The curious habits of the
prairie dogs are very little known, and this
account will be found extremely interest-
ing:—

We had not proceeded but a short distance
after reaching the beautiful prairie, before
we came upon the outskirts of a canine
wealth of the canine race. A few scattered
dogs were seen scampering in, and, by
their short and sharp yelps, giving a gen-
eral alarm to the whole community.

The first cry of danger from the outskirts
was soon taken up to the centre of the city.
and now nothing was to be seen in any di-
rection but a dashing, dog scampering of the
multitudinous and excitable citizens of the
place, each to his lodge or burrow. Far
as the eye could reach was spread the city.
and in every direction the scene was the
same. We rode leisurely along until we
had reached the more thickly settled por-
tion of the city, when we halted, and after
taking the bridles from our horses to allow
them to graze, we prepared for a regular
attack upon its inhabitants.

The burrows were not more than fifteen
yards apart, with well-trodden paths lead-
ing in different directions, and I even
thought I could discover something like
regularity in the laying out of the streets.

We sat down upon a bank under the shade
of a tree, and leisurely surveyed the scene
before us. Our approach had driven every
one in our immediate vicinity to his home.
but some hundred yards off, the small
mound of earth in front of a burrow was
occupied by a dog coming straight up
on his haunches, and slyly looking a-
bout him to ascertain the cause of the com-
mon commotion. Ever now and then
some citizen, more venturous than his
neighbor, would leave his lodge on a tour
of curiosity, apparently to ex-
change a few words, and then scamper
back as fast as his legs would carry him.
By-and-by, as we kept perfectly still,
some of our nearer neighbors were seen
cautiously poking their heads from out
their holes and looking cunningly, and at
the same time inquisitively, about them.
After some time, a dog would emerge from
the entrance of his domicile, squat upon
his looking out place, shake his head, and
commence yelping.

For three hours we remained watching
the movements of these animals, and oc-
casionally picking one of them off with our
rifles. No less than nine were obtained
by the party. On a circumstance I will
mention as singular in the extreme, and
which shows the social relationship which
exists among these animals, as well as the
regard they have one for another.

One of them had perched himself direct-
ly upon the pile of earth in front of his hole,
sitting up and offering a fair mark, while a
companion's head, too timid, perhaps, to
expose himself farther, was seen poking
out of the entrance. A well-directed shot
carried away the entire top of the head of
the first dog, and knocked him some two
or three feet from his post, perfectly dead.
While reloading, the other daringly came
out, seizing his companion by one of his
legs, and before we could arrive at the hole,
had drawn him completely out of reach, al-
though we tried to twist him out with a
ramrod.

There was a feeling in this act—a some-
thing human, which raised the animals in
my estimation; and never after did I at-
tempt to kill one of them, except when
driven by extreme hunger.

The prairie dog is about the size of a
rabbit, heavier perhaps, more compact, and
with much shorter legs. In appearance, it
resembles the ground hog of the north, al-
though a little smaller than that animal.
In their habits, the prairie dogs are social,
never live alone like other animals, but are
always found in villages or large settle-
ments. They are a wild, frolicsome set
of fellows when undisturbed, restless, and
ever on the move. They seem to take es-
pecial delight in chattering away the time,
and visiting about, from hole to hole, to
gossip and talk over one another's affairs:
at least, so their actions would indicate.

Old hunters say that when they find a
good location for a village, and no water is
handy, they dig a well to supply the wants
of community.

On several occasions, I have crept up
close to one of their villages, without being
observed, then I might watch their move-
ments. About in the centre of one of
them, I certainly noticed a very large dog,
sitting in front of his door, up close to
his tip-toe, and by his own actions and
those of his neighbors, really looked as
though he was the president, mayor, or
chief: at all events, he was the big dog of
the place.

For at least an hour, I watched the
movements of this little community; dur-
ing that time, the large dog I have men-
tioned received at least a dozen visits from
his fellow-citizens, who would stop and chat
with him a few moments, and then run on
to their own domiciles. All this while he never
left his post for a single minute, and I thought
I could discover a gravity in his deport-
ment, not discernible in those by whom he
was addressed. Not being learned in the
canine vernacular, of course I cannot say
that the visits he received were upon busi-
ness, or had anything to do with the lo-
cal government of the village, but it cer-
tainly appears as if such was the case.

If any animal is endowed with reasoning
powers, or has established laws regula-
ting the body politic, it is the prairie dog.

In different parts of the village the mem-
bers of a family were seen gamboling, frolicking,
and visiting each other, occasionally turning
his head over into their holes, and ap-
pearing to have all sorts of fun among
themselves. Owls of a similar species
were also seen among them: they did not
appear to join in their sports in any way,
but still seemed to be on good terms, and
as they were constantly entering and com-
ing out of the same holes, they might be
considered as members of the same family.
or, at least, guests. Rattlesnakes, too, dwell
among them: but the idea generally re-
ceived among the Mexicans, that they live
upon terms of companionship with the dogs,
quite ridiculous, and without any foun-
dation.

The snakes I look upon as loafers, not
citizens of the community,
and they make use of the dwellings of the
dogs as more comfortable quarters than
they could find elsewhere. We killed one
a short distance from a burrow which had
made a meal of a pup; although I do
not think they can master full-grown
dogs.

This city of the dogs, which we visited,
was estimated miles in length and at least a
mile in width. Around and in the vicinity
were smaller villages, suburbs to the town.
We kindled a fire, and cooked three of the
animals we had shot; the meat was ex-
ceedingly sweet, tender and juicy, resem-
bling that of the squirrel, only that there
was more fat upon it.