390 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



considers that the loss in ripe grain eaten, stored away, or de- 

 stroyed in autumn is small compared with that which they cause 

 by digging up the seed after it is sown in the spring, as each 

 kernel taken then deducts many fold from the crop. 



But they are mischievous throughout the season. R. C. 

 Cooper writes Bailey concerning the species in North Dakota: 

 "It is present in great numbers and very destructive to small 

 grain, doing most damage after the grain begins to head out 

 and shade the ground fully; they then pull down the grain and 

 cut off the upper part of the stalk for many rods around their 

 holes, seemingly to let sunlight strike the ground; they do not 

 hke damp places."^ 



STOR- It seems to be the habit of the species to carry food home 



^^^ in its cheek pouches for immediate consumption as well as for 

 winter stores. On May 23, 1884, 1 captured a Ground-squirrel 

 from a very righteous hawk that had caught him raiding a 

 grain-field, and had lynched him on the spot. This was a very 

 large specimen, a male; it weighed 13 ounces. Its cheek 

 pouches contained 240 grains of wheat and nearly 1,000 grains 

 of wild buckwheat, which is a noxious weed. Another, taken 

 July 26, had in its cheek pouches 162 grains of oats. Bailey 

 records one that had in its cheek pouches 269 grains of oats.^ 

 The ripening crops in August afford the Ground-squirrel 

 a chance that it never neglects. Load after load of the golden 

 grain is garnered into its own bin, some six feet underground. 

 In October the store is untouched and the owner sound asleep. 

 I have but one personal observation in support of this. On 

 October 27, 1884, I followed a Badger track in about two 

 inches of snow that had fallen the night before. The Badger 

 had come to a Ground-squirrel's hole and, guided no doubt 

 by scent, dug straight down about six feet. The evidence 

 showed that he had found and devoured the owners. Clearly 

 they had omitted to plug the doorway and had paid the extreme 

 penalty of their neglect, for there was the nicely made bed 

 torn open. But also I saw there the storehouse containing about 



^ Loc. ciL, p. 64. * Loc. ciL, p. 6i. 



