their legs
in them. I noticed an eagle circling high overhead. All of a sudden he
dropped like a stone to the top of a mound, where he sat motionless as
a rock. The marmot in a few minutes ran out of his hole to a neighbor's
doorway. The eagle calmly jumped down from the top and with one wing
closed the entrance to the hole. The rodent heard the noise, turned back
and rushed to the attack, trying to break through to his hole where he
had evidently left his family. The struggle began. The eagle fought with
one free wing, one leg and his beak but did not withdraw the bar to the
entrance. The marmot jumped at the rapacious bird with great boldness
but soon fell from a blow on the head. Only then the eagle withdrew his
wing, approached the marmot, finished him off and with difficulty
lifted him in his talons to carry him away to the mountains for a tasty
luncheon.

In the more barren places with only occasional spears of grass in the
plain another species of rodent lives, called imouran, about the size of
a squirrel. They have a coat the same color as the prairie and, running
about it like snakes, they collect the seeds that are blown across by
the wind and carry them down into their diminutive homes. The imouran
has a truly faithful friend, the yellow lark of the prairie with a brown
back and head. When he sees the imouran running across the plain, he
settles on his back, flaps his wings in balance and rides well this
swiftly galloping mount, who gaily flourishes his long shaggy tail. The
lark during his ride skilfully and quickly catches the parasites living
on the body of his friend, giving evidence of his enjoyment of his work
with a short agreeable song. The Mongols call the imouran "the steed of
the gay lark." The lark warns the imouran of the approach of eagles and
hawks with three sharp whistles the moment he sees the aerial brigand
and takes refuge himself behind a stone or in a small ditch. After this
signal no imouran will stick his head out of his hole until the danger
is past. Thus the gay lark and his steed live in kindly neighborliness.

In other parts of Mongolia where there was very rich grass I saw another
type of rodent, which I had previously come across in Urianhai. It is
a gigantic black prairie rat with a short tail and lives in colonies
of from one to two hundred. He is interesting and unique as the most
skilful farmer among the animals in his preparation of his winter supply
of fodder. During the