eloua rothrockii (heads and crowns, about 50 per cent of each) 325
Bouteloua rothrockii (with small percentage of crowns) 315
Boerhaavia wrightii (with a few grass crowns) 150
Prosopis velutina 90
Solanum elaeagnifolium (3 fruits) Tr.
-----
Total 2,315
Four species represented. Count of 100 grams of stored _Bouteloua_
crowns gives 1,700, or 17 crowns per gram. At this rate there were at
least 27,000 crowns stored in this burrow. If a density of 250 plants to
the square yard be assumed (a high estimate) these crowns represent the
total _B. rothrockii_ on 104 square yards of range surface. Further
examination of the vicinity of this den showed that the surrounding area
was not completely cleared, but was devoid of _B. rothrockii_, while
still having _B. eriopoda_ with crowns undisturbed.
DEN 11.
April 9, 1919. In partially denuded land where good spring growth of
_Eschscholtzia_ was in bloom at time of excavation. Stomach of
_spectabilis_ killed in this burrow contained a mass of fresh but
finely comminuted green material, probably poppy leaves, strongly
colored with yellow from blossoms. No summer growth here in 1918.
Species stored. Grams.
Bouteloua rothrockii (crowns) (miscellaneous chaff, etc.) 107
Eschscholtzia mexicana (buds and flowers) }
Anisolotus trispermus (leaves and pods) }
Gaertneria tenuifolia (leaves) } 10
Lupinus sparsiflorus (flowers) }
Solanum elaeagnifolium (2 fruits) Tr.
---
Total 117
Six species represented, some only by leaves or flowers and not by
seeds. _Such storage is never in large quantity._ The fresh storage
material was weighed after becoming air dry. This illustrates a late
spring condition, storage running low.
DEN 14.
August 8, 1919. Excellent summer growth all over range. This burrow in
mixed growth, grasses and weeds.
Species stored.
|