THE AMERICAN CHIPMUNK. 



435 



had hoped to find several passages leading from the nest, and two or 

 more " extra " nests, or magazines for storing away food, but no trace 

 of them was to be found. 



On the 23d of June, six young chipmunks made their appearance 

 about the stone-wall in the yard, and to these, wntli their j^arents, we 

 w'ill now confine our attention. It puzzles us now when w'e think of 

 it, to imagine w^hen this company of eight chipmunks took any rest. 

 Very frequently during the summer we were astir at sunrise, but the 

 chipmunks were already on the go, and throughout July they ap- 

 peared to do little but play ; which sporting, by-the-way, is very ani- 

 mated. They seem to be playing at what children know as " tag," 

 i. e., they chase each other to and fro, and try not simply to touch, 

 we should judge, but to bite each other's tail. The way in which 

 they scamper along the tapering points of a paling fence is simply 

 astonishing ; but however mad may be their galloping, let a hawk 

 come near, and in a moment every one is motionless. If on a fence, 

 they simply squat wherever they may be at the time, and trust to re- 

 maining unnoticed. If on the ground, and not too far from their bur- 

 rows, which is not often the case, they will dart to their nests with an 

 incredible celerity, going, we believe, the w^hole length of their pas- 

 sage-way to the nest, turning about, and retracing their stejis to the 

 entrance, from which they will peer out, and, when the danger is 



These little animals 



over, reappear and recommence their sports 





play merely for play's sake, and have no more important object in 

 view than amusement. Indeed, so far as we have studied animal life, 

 this indulgence in play, just as children play, and for the same reasons, 

 is common to all animals. We have often seen most animated move- 

 ments on the part of fishes that could be referred only to play. 



That some work was accomj^lished during July by our eight chip- 



