CHIPMUNKS 181 



to learn something of its habits. From the time of its capture the chip- 

 munk never attempted to bite, although at first it struggled when handled. 

 Later, when permitted to run about camp and even to climb trees it was 

 recaptured easily. The first night in captivity the animal was placed in a 

 roll of cotton in a pail. During the night it worked out of the cotton and 

 became very cold and numb, in fact it was seemingly lifeless; but a little 

 warming soon revived it completely. The chipmunk drank and ate readily 

 in captivity, taking about a quarter of a teaspoonful of water and several 

 pinches of rolled oats daily. The water it sucked, not lapped, into the 

 mouth; but sometimes it would put its tongue out into the water before 

 actual drinking began. Kolled oats seemed to supply its needs in the 

 way of food, but it also accepted various other items from the camp break- 

 fast. Beans and sugar were eaten readily. The chipmunk would often 

 lick the hands of a person holding it, probably because of the salt deposited 

 on the skin by perspiration. 



When holding food materials, this chipmunk used its forefeet like 

 hands; usually it employed both feet, but sometimes only one. If hungry 

 it would stuff kernels of grain into its cheek pouches, but without putting 

 its paws clear into the mouth. Again, after the pouches were crammed 

 with food, it would slip out one grain at a time (and this also was done 

 by working the muscles of the jaws without help from the paws), and 

 nibble the kernel while holding it in the paws. 



Much of the activity of chipmunks in summer and fall has to do with 

 the getting and storing of food materials against a season of the year when 

 such supplies are scant or lacking. Although we did not find any large 

 food cache of any of the chipmunks it is probable that the animals do lay 

 by stores in considerable quantity in particular spots. But whether or 

 not they accumulate much food material, we do know that chipmunks 

 are accustomed to bury seeds and nuts of various kinds, a few in a place 

 or singly. After having gathered one or more such articles the chipmunk, 

 using its forepaws in the digging, will excavate a small hole, often deep 

 enough to conceal the animal's head from the view of a person off to one 

 side. Then the contents of the cheek pouches are transferred to the hole, 

 the hole is filled up, and the surface more or less smoothed over and patted 

 down. Some, at least, of such caches are subsequently opened by the 

 chipmunks, as we ourselves have witnessed. Whether the recover}^ is made 

 by the animal which originally buried the material is not known, though 

 this is believed usually to be the case. A considerable number of the seeds, 

 however, are not dug up by any rodent, and being planted at a proper 

 depth, begin to germinate, when conditions of warmth and moisture are 

 right, and give rise to seedling plants. In this way the chipmunks doubt- 

 less atone in full for the toll which they le^y on the forest trees and brush 



