352 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



able to shift for themselves. Possibly the 3 or 4 individuals 

 often found in the winter den are the family of that year. 



Evidence of this is given by Rhoads who says:'^ "That 

 many Chipmunks enter and appear to be at home in the same 

 burrow in the late fall, is evidenced by my having trapped at 

 the mouth of a single burrow, between the 15th and 25th of 

 October, on the mountain three miles above Round Island, 

 Clinton County, Pa., 7 full-grown Chipmunks, of which i was 

 an adult female, i an adult male, i a young female and 4 

 young males. Three of the young males and the young female 

 were so nearly alike in size that I think them the offspring of 

 the old pair, and that it was likely they all were expecting to 

 hibernate, with the exception of the fourth young male, in this 

 retreat. Of course this is only circumstantial evidence, but it is 

 probable, as the 4 young were hardly able to hew out among 

 those rocky fastnesses a retreat for themselves that year." 



HABITS The Chipmunk has the vivacity as well as the voice of a 



bird, combined with something of the Squirrel and even of the 

 rat in its disposition, but in an exterior so attractive that one 

 readily forgets the evil strain that betrays its low relationship. 



Its combined nervousness and curiosity are admirably 

 pictured thus by Merriam:^^ 



"He is partial to brush-heaps, wood-piles, stone walls, 

 rail fences, accumulations of old rubbish, and other places that 

 afford him a pretty certain escape, and at the same time enable 

 him to see what is transpiring outside. For, though by no 

 means wary, he delights in these loosely sheltered hiding- 

 places, where he can whisk in and out at will, peep unobserved 

 at passers-by, and dart back when prudence demands. If 

 suddenly surprised he utters a sharp chtp'-pe/-r-r-r, and makes 

 a quick dash for his retreat, which is no sooner reached than, 

 simultaneously with the disappearance of his tail, out pops his 

 head, his keen dark eyes gazing intently at the source of alarm. 

 If not pursued farther he is very apt to advance toward the 

 supposed enemy, betraying his excitement by a series of nerv- 



*^ Mam. Penn. and N. J., 1903, p. 62. " Mam. Adir., 1884, p. 237. 



