MAMMALS OF THE MEXICAN BOUNDARY. 259 



lar ravines, wooded with maple, foxtail pine fir, and spruce, which 

 localities were inhabited to the exclusion of the more open pine woods. 

 They were busily employed in Laying up supplies for their winter 

 larder. The pelage of the specimens taken at this time was much 

 soiled and matted together with pine and spruce gum, which adheres 

 in stick} drops to the ripening fruitage. As we descended to a lower 

 altitude, the firs and spruces were left behind, and with them this 

 chickaree: no) 1 did 1 meet with it again for nearly three year-. 



A- the Mogollon chickaree only inhabits the fir and spruce forests 

 of Arizona, between the altitudes of 6,500 and 11,500 feet, its habitat 

 would be represented on the map by a few narrow belts and isolated 

 spot-, corresponding to the mountain peaks and highest ridges of land 

 in the Territory. Its economic relations with man are therefore 

 unimportant, and may be said to affect the interests of fore-try more 

 than those of agriculture, since little attempt has hitherto been made 

 to cultivate the soil at this altitude. Beyond pilfering a few stores 

 from the mountaineer's cabin it is innocent of harm, and it more than 

 compensates for all such peccadillos by the companionship afforded 

 by its familiarity and lively manners. 



Early in May. 1887, I pitched my tent beside a beautiful spring 

 on the summit of the wagon pass across the Mogollon Mountains, 

 along the line of the old star^-route stage course, formerly running 

 between Santa Fe, Xew Mexico, and Prescott. Arizona, and went 

 into camp for several days. A better location for observing the 

 habits of this chickaree could not have been selected. The locality 

 was a dee}) notch between two mountains, and the spring came from 

 the hillside near the lower border of a spruce forest, where there was 

 an admixture of foxtail and yellow pines. The Abert pine squirrel 

 hen' infringed somewhat upon the territory of the Mogollon chickaree, 

 but I never saw the latter forsake the spruces for the pines, nor did 

 1 observe any quarrels between the two species, although I had heard 

 that the chickaree was jealous of any intrusion on the part of its 

 larger neighbor, which it resented by waging instant warfare against 

 it and driving it away. 



While at this camp. I instructed the men not to shoot or otherwise 

 molesi any of the squirrels near our tents, hoping to gain the confi- 

 dence and thus learn something of the habits of the various small 

 quadrupeds that were abundant around us. In this I was not dis- 

 appointed: indeed, it was not long until we were compelled to trap a 

 number of chipmunks, whose audacity knew no bounds, in order to 

 save our supplies. While I was preparing specimens in the shade 

 of a tent fly, the Mogollon chickarees pursued (heir accustomed 

 avocations within a few feet of me. They were full of curiosity, and 



