The prairie dog ( Cynmnes ludovicianus)
is migratory, although it moves slowly,
accomplishing hardly more than half a
mile a year. Apparently, their object
is to obtain fresh food, for they eat root
and branch as they go. The leaders
are, invariably, the young, who are
constantly driven out by their more
mature and powerful brethren. Their
vacated holes are occupied by owls and
rattle snakes, but whether these prove
enemies or not I do not know.
I strongly suspect that the cause of
migration in the lemmings is the para
sites which infest their bodies. These,
after a few years, increase to such num
bers as to be unendurable; then the
lemmings set out and are never knwn
to return until they have overcome tneir
enemies in me uirhi.
Ancient Athenians.
The Athenians of old were a light and
fickle people, constantly seeking after
new things, and soon tired of the old,
and much disposed to make novelty.the
standard of merit A winning cause, in
their eyes, seemed generally a just
cause which very highly commended
itself to Athenian favor. And this was
never more the case than at the time
when the power of Philip seemed broad
ening to imperial dimensions, and all
efforts to check him vain. So we can
easily imagine how strong a feeling
there was at Athens, after the defeat of
Cbseronea, in favor of abandoning dead
issues, overcoming all prejudices, and
learning that broad national patriotism
which, flinging to the winds the tradi
tions and sentiments of the past, would
merge Athenian, Theban, Spartan au
tonomy into one grand Greek empire.
