THE GROUND SQUIRREL, OR HACKEE. 



495 



species is to a certain extent gregarious in its habits. We had in autumn marked one of its 

 burrows which we conceived well adapted to our purpose, which was to dig it out. It was in 

 the woods, in a sandy piece of ground, and the earth was strewed with leaves to the depth of 

 eight inches, which we believed would prevent the frost from penetrating to any considerable 

 depth. We had the place opened in January, when the ground was covered with snow about five 

 inches deep. The entrance of the burrow had been closed from within. We followed the course 

 of the small winding gaUery with considerable difficulty. The hole descended at first almost 

 perpendicularly for about three feet. It then continued, with one or two windings, rising a 

 little nearer the surface until it had advanced about eight feet, when we came to a large nest, 

 made of oak leaves and dried grasses. Here lay snugly covered three Chipping Squirrels. 



"Another was subsequently dug from one of the small lateral galleries, to which it had 

 evidently retreated to avoid us. They were not dormant, and seemed ready to bite when taken 

 in the hand ; but they were not very active, and appeared somewhat sluggish and benumbed, 



which we conjectured was owing to their 

 being exposed to sudden cold from our hav- 

 ing opened their burrow. There was about 

 a gill of wheat and buckwheat in the nest ; 

 but in the galleries, which we afterwards 

 dug out, we obtained about a quart of the 

 beaked hazel nuts (Cbrylus rostrdtd), nearly 

 a peck of acorns, some grains of Indian corn, 

 about two quarts of buckwheat, and a very 

 small quantity of grass seeds." 



Whenever menaced by one of the numer- 

 ous foes by which so defenceless and con- 

 spicuous an animal is sure to be surrounded, 

 the Hackee makes at once for its burrow, 

 and is there secured from the attacks of 

 nearly every enemy. One foe, however, 

 cares nothing for the burrow, but follows 

 the poor Hackee through its windings, and 

 never fails to attain its sanguinary object. 

 This remorseless foe is the stoat, or ermine, 

 one of which animals has been detected in 

 entering a Hackee's burrow, where it 

 remained for a few minutes, and then 

 returned, licking its lips, and appearing 

 highly satisfied with its proceedings. When 

 the burrow was examined in order to ascer- 

 tain the amount of slaughter which the stoat 



had performed, one female Hackee and five young were found lying dead in their home, 

 the stoat having contented itself with sucking their blood, without deigning to eat their flesh. 

 From the principal burrow the Hackee drives several supplementary timnels, in which it 

 lays up its stock of provisions. The general nature of this store, and the amount of treasure 

 which is garnered within the burrows, may be gathered from the account which has just been 

 quoted. When the Hackee carries off the beaked nuts into its cave, it goes through its work 

 in a very business-like manner. Fearing lest the sharp " beak" of the nut may hurt its cheeks 

 when it puts the f rait into its pouch, it bites off the sharp point, and then deliberately pushes 

 it into one of the pouches with the assistance of its fore-paws. Another and another are 

 similarly treated, and taking a fourth nut between its teeth, the Hackee dives into its burrow, 

 packs away its treasures methodically, and then returns for another cargo. It is rather c\arious 

 that it always carries four nuts at each journey. As the little creature goes along with its 

 cheek-pouches distended to their utmost limits it has the most ludicrous aspect imaginable, 

 its cheeks prodigiously swelled, and laboring most truly under an embarrassment of riches.. 



CHIPMCCK.-7ami<M lyilerl. 



