Franklin Ground-squirrel 375 



he twice saw one, when pursued, dimb five or six feet up the 

 trelhs work and vines at the side of a house," but these are 

 exceptional cases. 



The home-locahty of each individual is probably less than home- 

 100 yards across. The only evidence I have, aside from prob- 

 abilities, is the fact that one or two are often found inhabiting 

 a little thicket of less than a quarter of an acre, and they can 

 usually be found within a very few yards of the same place. 



In 1882, we, in Manitoba, reckoned this the rarest of the abun- 

 Ground-squirrels; since then it has increased, especially about 

 Pembina,Winnipeg,PortagelaPrairie,Brandon, Minnedosa,and 

 Dauphin, while the Striped Ground-squirrel has decreased, 

 so that now this is much the more numerous of the two. 



I should consider this species abundant if there were three 

 pairs to every hundred yards square of scrub, and this is said 

 to be under the probable population of the wooded borderland 

 along the Red and Asslniboine Rivers. At a place in Kansas 

 (Auburn), where it was *' very common," Professor L. L. Dyche, 

 says:^ "On an average I think there could not have been less 

 than one Squirrel for each rod of fence." 



In Illinois, says Kennicott,' *' it is usually found living socia- 

 alone or in pairs, and I have never observed a number of bur- 

 rows scattered over a small prairie knoll like the semi-villages of 

 the Striped Spermophile. This is perhaps owing to their small 

 numbers; for the species appears to be naturally gregarious, 

 and, at times, large companies live together, burrowing within 

 a few feet of each other, and several pairs even entering the 

 same hole." 



In its spring appearance it is later even than the Striped spring 



1011 ^ i AT'>\-E"V-T 



species, and observers generally agree that it is about three 

 weeks behind the Yellow Ground-squirrel. In Manitoba there- 

 fore it may be looked for ordinarily about the first of May. 



• Pr. Grd. Sq., 1893, U. S. Dep. Agr., Bull. 4, p. 53. 

 » Quad. 111., 1857, p. 79. 



.ADVENT 



