kangaroolike, the animal maintains a partially
upright position. Its ordinary mode of progression is hopping along on
the large hind legs, or, when in the open and going at speed, leaping.
When moving slowly about over the mound, as if searching for food, it
uses the fore legs in a kind of creeping movement. It appears to be
creeping when pocketing grain strewn about, but close observation shows
that the fore feet are then used for sweeping material into the pockets,
reminding one somewhat of a vacuum cleaner. When it assumes a partially
upright position the fore limbs are usually drawn up so closely that
they can be seen only by looking upward from a somewhat lower level than
that occupied by the animal. The slower movements of searching or
playing about the mound are occasionally interrupted by a sudden leap
directly upward to a height of 1-1/2 to 2 feet, often with no apparent
reason other than play. This is, however, a fighting or guarding
movement, though indulged in for play. The play instinct seems to be
well developed, and in evidence on any moonlight night when actual
harvesting operations are not going on.

STORING HABITS.

Probably no instinct is of greater importance to the kangaroo rat than
that of storing food supplies. When a crop of desirable seeds is
maturing the animal's activities appear to be concentrated on this work.
During September, 1919, when a good crop of grass seed was ripening
following the summer rains, a kangaroo rat under observation made
repeated round trips to the harvest field of grass heads. Each outward
trip occupied from 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, while the unloading trip into the
burrow took only 15 to 20 seconds.

One individual in a laboratory cage, which had not yet been given a nest
box, busied itself in broad daylight in carrying its grain supply into
the darkest corner of the cage. When a nest box is supplied the
individual will retreat into its dark shelter, and will only come forth
after darkness has fallen unless forcibly ejected, but will store the
food supplied.

In another case an animal escaped while being handled, and sought refuge
behind a built-in laboratory table, where it could not be recovered
without tearing out the table. For four days and nights it had the run
of the laboratory. On the first night of its freedom it found and
entered a burlap bag of grass seed that had been taken from a mound. A
trail of seed and chaff next morning showed that it had been busil