Nests for rearing the young are not of such great concern to these rabbits. Perhaps they instinctively choose places where an enemy would never expect to find them. Many are mere hollows in tall grass or shallow burrows in an accumulation of pine needles. They are lined with soft grasses or needles and hair which the mother pulls from her own body. More hair and grass fibers are cleverly matted together to form a loosely woven blanket which she pulls over the nest when she leaves. It is arranged with such cunning and blends so well with the surrounding that unless one sees the rabbit leave it is only by accident a nest is discovered. The three to five young are born blind and naked, but thrive so well in the warm nest that in about a month they are fully furred and able to leave. At this age they are extremely playful little creatures, often indulging in a game much like tag, although to a human observer it is never quite clear just who is “It.” In this connection it is interesting to note than among the “hunted” mammals the play spirit is usually manifested by running games in which there is little if any physical contact. By contrast, the young of predators indulge in wrestling games featuring use of teeth and claws, often beyond the point where fun ceases and anger begins. Pika _Ochotona princeps_ (Mongol name of pika ... Latin: chief) Range: Mountainous areas of the western United States, western Canada, and southern Alaska. Found in the southwestern United States in Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. [Illustration: Habitat map] Habitat: Talus slopes of the Hudsonian and Alpine Life Zones. Description: A small animal bearing some resemblance to a guinea pig; found only among or in the vicinity of rock slides. Total length from 6½ to 8½ inches. No visible tail. Color, gray to brown. Eyes small, ears large and set well back on head. The front legs are short and are exceeded but little by the hind legs. They are all quite concealed by the long hair of the sides. This gives the animal much the appearance of a mechanical toy as it glides smoothly over the rocks. The soles of the feet are covered with hair, the only bare spots on the feet being the pads of the toes. The call is distinctive, the most common being an “eeh” repeated several times. This sound is shrill, but has a falsetto quality as though it were being produced during an inhalation. Young thought to number from three to six. [Illustration: pika] Far up on the mountainside, above timberline but below the eternal snows, a great field of talus rests uneasily on the massive slopes of bedrock. From a distance it seems merely a smooth gray scar that softens the otherwise abrupt lift of the summit. A closer inspection reveals it as a tumbled mass of variously shaped slabs of stone varying from tiny fragments to huge blocks weighing many tons. Its entire bulk is shot through with chinks and crevices of every conceivable shape and form.