TV//; 



on 



species is to a certain extent gregarious in its habits. We had in autumn marked one of it* 



burrows wlii.-li we comvived well :i.| ;i ].i.-| !,,,,iir purpose, which was t,, .li^ it nut. It wan in 

 the \\(MNl-. in a sandy pii-ce .f .mound, :uul ilu- earth \\;i" Mn-ed \\ith leaven to lli-- <1> pth of 

 it inches, which we l>i-lie\i-d would pn-M-m t from ]>eni-irating to any considerable 



depth. We had tin- place opened in January, when the ground was covered with snow aUmtlixe 

 inches df-p. The entrance of tlif liiirrow had l>een elosM fiiuu \\itliin. We followed the course 

 of the small winding gallery with considerable dilliculty. The hole descended at first almost 

 l*-rpi-iidicularly for about three feet. It th.-n continued, with one or two winding*, rising a 

 littlt- iii-ap-r the -irfac-i- until it had advanced about eight feet, when we came to u large nest, 

 made of oak leaves and dried gra---- II- if lay snugly coverexl three Chipping Squirrels. 



"Anot ln-r was 8absequi-ntl\ dm: fi-mi i.neof the Hniall lutentl galleries, to which it hud 

 evidently retreated to avoid u>. They were not dormant, and seemed ready to bite when taken 

 in the hand ; but they were not very active, and appeared somewhat sluggish ami l-!inml-d. 



which we conjectured was owing to tlu-ir 

 being exposed to sudden cold from our hav- 

 ing opened their burrow. There was about 

 a gill of wheat and buckwheat in the nest ; 

 but in the galleries, which we afterwards 

 dug out, we obtained about a quart of the 

 beaked hazel nut.s ( ('///////* mxfni/tn. nearly 

 a peck of acorns, some grains of Indian corn, 

 about two quarts of buckwheat, and a very 

 small quantity of grass seeds." 



Whenever menaced by one of the numer- 

 ous foes by which so defenceless and con- 

 spicuous an animal is sure to be surrounded, 

 the Hackee makes at once for it* burrow, 

 and is there secured from the attacks of 

 nearly every enemy. One foe, however, 

 cares nothing for the burrow, but follows 

 the poor Hackee through it windings, and 

 never fails to attain its sanguinary olj-<-t. 

 This remorseless foe is the stoat, or ermine. 

 one of which animals has been detected in 

 entering a Hackee's burrow, where it 

 remained for a few minutes, and th<-n 

 it-turned, licking ite lips, and aj>|e:mng 

 highly satisfied with its proceedings. When 

 the burrow was examined in order to ascer- 

 tain the amount of slaughter w hich the stoat 



had performed, one female Hackee and five young were found lying dead in their home, 

 the stoat having contented itself with sucking their blood, without deigning to eat their flesh. 

 Fromth'- principal burrow the Hackee drives several supplementary tunnels, in which it 

 lays up its stock of provisions. The general nature of this store, and the amount of treasure 

 which is iTirnere-1 within the burrows, may be gathered from the account which has just been 

 quoted. When the Hackee carries off the beaked nuts into its cave, it goes through its work 

 in a very business-like manner. Fearini: l>-t the sharp " beak " of the nut may hurt its cheeks 

 when it puts the fruit into its pouch, it bites off the sharp point, and then deliberately pushes 

 it into one of the j>ouches with the assistance of its fore-paws. Another and another are 

 similarly treated, and taking a fourth nut between it teeth, the Hackee dives into its bnrrow, 

 packs away its treasures methodically, and then returns for another cargo. It is rather curious 

 that it always carrii-s four nuts at each journey. As the little i-n-ature goes along with its 

 cheek-jKiuches di-tend"l to their utmost limits it has the most ludicrous aspect imaginable, 

 its cheeks prodigiously swelled, and laboring most truly under an embarrassment of riches. 



CHTPMl'CK.- 



