Chipmunk 



from the ears to the rufous of the rump.and on each side two black 

 stripes with a light buff stripe between them. Sides of the body 

 buffy mixed with black-tipped hairs, below white. Tail grizzly 

 gray above with black tips to the hairs, below rufous edged 

 with black. (Illustration facing p. 172.) 



Range. Southern New York to Georgia. Northward the closely 

 related northern hackee (7*. striatus lysteri) takes its place. It is 

 much brighter and lighter in colour, bright rusty red instead of 

 chestnut above. Numerous other species are found in the West. 



Ground squirrels are unquestionably most intelligent creatures, lov- 

 ing the sunlight and hot weather and open groves of hardwoods where 

 the turf is cropped close by cattle. 



Here they dig their burrows in such a manner as to avoid 

 attracting the attention of their enemies and at the same time 

 allowing them an unobstructed outlook on all sides from their 

 doorways. 



Choosing an open and lawn-like spot they sink a perpen- 

 dicular tunnel down several feet ; after which the burrow is 

 carried along horizontally for a few yards and then ascends a 

 trifle to the chamber, which is perhaps a foot in height and 

 breadth and nearly twice as long and carpeted with soft grass. 



A back stairway ascends to the surface by a somewhat 

 shorter route at a considerable distance from the other opening. 



Now the amount of earth removed must necessarily be con- 

 siderable, yet the grass about the entrance shows no signs of it, 

 and it requires a sharp eye to detect the position of the bur- 

 row unless its owner betrays the secret himself. I believe that 

 in some instances, perhaps quite frequently, the hole is begun 

 beneath a hollow stump or tree, under the shelter of a thick 

 low growing bush, or between the rocks of a wall where the 

 pile of fresh dirt may escape notice ; and after other passages 

 are made from the chamber to the surface the original opening 

 is perhaps blocked with earth from the inside and abandoned. 

 Piles of newly dug earth are always to be found in the vicinity 

 of the chipmunk's home, but almost invariably at a distance from 

 any burrow, often so far away in fact that it is difficult to con- 

 ceive how they could have been constructed, even in the manner 

 just described. 



I am inclined to think that it is a common practice among 

 chipmunk's to carry all the dirt removed in their cheek-pouches 



163 



