356 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



at the nest, and actually devouring one of the young ones. I 

 called to the gardener, who came, accompanied by a dog, and 

 shook the tree violently, when the animal fell to the earth, 

 and was in an instant secured by the dog.' " 



In the train of this we are not surprised to find Rhoads' 

 statement^'' that "they not only eat insects, snakes, mice, birds, 

 eggs, and various species of shelled snails, but have been known 

 to devour each other when wounded or caught in a trap." 



STORAGE All summer long, May, June, July, August, September, 

 and October, in Connecticut, I have observed the Chipmunks 

 carry home great bulging pouchfuUs of food. Sundry of my 

 notes taken at Cos Cob in 1905 run as follows: 



May 28, Chipmunk on bank west of the house popped into 

 hole with full cheeks and out again in half a minute with cheeks 

 empty. 



June 8. All summer, so far, I have seen the Chipmunks 

 carrying food in the cheeks, and have heard them in full song. 

 I saw an old one at the brook drinking like a little pig. 



June 15. Saw a Chipmunk carrying home two pouches 

 full of stuff, from a place over 1 50 feet away. The young are 

 now out, but rarely with their mother. 



October 9. Chipmunks hard at work. Saw one carrying 

 acorns from our lawn down to a place fifty yards away. He 

 made four trips in ten minutes while I watched, and kept right 

 on. He took several acorns in his pouches each time, so that 

 his head seemed enormous. It was about i p. M. 



October 27. Chipmunks very numerous and busy storing 

 food; often singing. These little animals seem to have a 

 premonition of storms and a dislike to face them. Whenever 

 they were exceptionally busy we found it meant a falling 

 barometer, and during a three-days' storm they never appeared, 

 subsisting comfortably, no doubt, on the "hay made while 

 the sun shone." 



The name Tamias (the steward) was given to this bright 

 little creature because of its admirable foresight in laying up 



"Mam. Penn. and N. J., 1903, p. 63. 



