92 



The Canadian Fielx)- Naturalist 



[Vol. XXXIII 



obstructions along the rows to prevent a continuous permitted to watch these little robbers day after day, 



thoroughfare. As the seeds began to ripen we cov- u i j ir i lU j 



* 6 r, , busily engaged in puUing out the seeds was to me, 



ered the heads with cheese-cloth. By these mea- ' , 



r . J t Ut.,; ,,fl;; > at least, surhcient compensation, and for those who 



sures or precaution we managed to obtain suincient ^ 



seed for our purpose, which was about a tenth of love birds and gardens, I know of few better attach- 



the total grown, the rest going to the birds. To be ments than a hedge of sunflowers. 



NOTES ON THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE CHIPMUNK. 



By a. Brooker Klugh, M.A., Biological Dept., Queen's University, 



Kingston, Canada. 



While in camp at Lake Missanog, Frontenac 

 county, Ontario, from August 19 to September 19, 

 1919, a chipmunk (Tamias stTiaius l^steri), had its 

 abode in the vicinity of our tent. This individual 

 had an unusually short tail and deep coloration, 

 and consequently could be readily distinguished 

 from other chipmunks in the neighborhood. 



Home range. The home range of this chipmunk 

 was 100 yards by 75 yards, and she was never ob- 

 served out of this area. 



Food. She was feeding on three things which I 

 have not previously seen this species eating the 

 fruits of the bunch-berry or dwarf cornel (Cornus 

 canadensis), the fruits of the wild lily-of-the-valley 

 (Maianihemum canadense), and the seeds of the 

 star-flower (Trientalis americana). As far as I 

 could ascertain she was not storing any of these 

 articles of food. 



I tried her with various food substances and found 

 that neither meat nor sweet substances, both of which 

 are relished by the red squirrel, were accepted, but 

 only seeds, fruits and tubers. 



By far her favorite item among the foods offered 

 her was corn either raw or boiled. While she 

 sometimes ate a kernel or two she carried most of 

 it away in her pouches. In loading up her pouches 

 she placed the kernels alternately first in one pouch 

 and then in the other, and when the pouches were 

 nearly full she shoved the last few kernels in with 

 one of her forepaws. A full load, as tested several 

 times, consisted of thirty-one large kernels of corn 

 equal to two heaped-up tablespoonfuls. When full 

 each pouch was as broad as the head, when viewed 

 from above. 



Notes. Three different notes were used by this 

 chipmunk the sharp "chip" which appeared to in- 

 dicate a state of unrest, the "chip-chir-r-r" of alarm, 

 and the resonant " chonJ(-chonk-chonk." The latter 

 note is an intercommunication call and is rarely re- 

 peated for any length of time unless a response is 

 evoked. This call is frequently begun quite softly 

 and slowly, but when answered in kind both tone 

 and tempo are increased. In uttering this note the 



cheeks are slightly distended before each "c/ion^" 

 is emitted. 



Psychology. The shortness of the period of 

 observation made any detailed study of the psy- 

 chology of this individual an impossibility, but I 

 was able to secure accurate data on one phase of 

 this subject the rapidity of the formation of as- 

 sociations. After I had placed kernels of corn for 

 her a few times I began to throw kernels to her. 

 At the first trial the sudden motion of my arm in 

 throwing naturally frightened her, as any sudden 

 motion will do with any wild animal. At the 

 second trial she started only slightly and came and 

 picked up the kernels, and at the third trial she 

 showed no alarm at the motion, but ran immediately 

 towards me and picked up each kernel as it fell. 

 I next threw her half-a-dozen kernels, each one 

 nearer to me than the last, and then held out the 

 cob near the ground, when she came up and bit the 

 corn from the cob. After this she associated the 

 holding out of anything with the procuring of food 

 and came at once. The third test made was to 

 ascertain her ability to associate sounds with the 

 securing of food. I held out a cob of corn and 

 made a squeaking noise with my lips, and after five 

 trials ,two on one day and three on the subsequent 

 day, she came running up on hearing this sound, 

 even though I held nothing extended towards her. 

 The rapidity v/ith which she made these associa- 

 tions exceeded my anticipations very considerably. 



That associations remained for some length of 

 time was shown by an incident which was not 

 planned as an experiment. My Indian friend, 

 Sowatis Lachance, had given me a cob of the 

 peculiar hybrid corn which he grows, in which the 

 kernels are of various and brilliant colors red, 

 pink, purple, brown, dark grey, yellow and white. 

 This I had placed on the top shelf of a set of shelves 

 in the tent. Early the next morning the chipmunk 

 came into the tent, climbed up to the shelf, and 

 stripped the cob. For five days subsequently she 

 continued to investigate that top shelf, visiting it 



