palmer] THE THIRTEEN-STRIPED SPERMOPHILE 3 



only during the daytime but it had rained all that morning and it 

 was not until late afternoon that the grass was dry . The work day 

 apparently was being stretched to the limit because it was quite 

 dusk before they ceased their activities. Unfortunately, these 

 activities were being interfered with by students who were amusing 

 themselves watching the heads pop in and out of the entrances to 

 the burrows. Almost invariably, the old one would appear first to 

 see if the coast was clear . If not scared, she would be followed by 

 the others who came out of the hole each stopping just as he was 

 about half way out to be convinced personally that the coast was 

 clear On being satisfied as to his own safety, each would scurry 

 off a few steps through the grass, stop and then go on a short dis- 

 tance. When all had gotten out and away from the hole someone 

 would scare them and then the two-inch entrance to the burrow 

 would certainly be busy for awhile. Hunger or excessive energy, 

 however, could not keep all of this life underground long and within 

 less than a minute by the watch, sometimes, the whole show would 

 start again. 



The food of these spermophiles has been the subject of quite a 

 bit of investigation and, as is often the case, the first verdict which 

 man pronounced against this wild thing was rather unjust. Boun- 

 ties have been placed on them in different states because they were 

 known to eat grain. They did and still do eat grain but Vernon 

 Bailey in Bulletin 4 U. S. Dept. of Agr., 1893 and E. A. Beal in 

 Bull. No. 6, Iowa Exp. Station, 1889 both come to the same con- 

 clusion that the grain destroyed is well paid for by the cutworms, 

 grasshoppers and even mice which they destroy. Unfortunately, 

 young birds are as acceptable as injurious forms of life. Wheat 

 and other cultivated grains are taken as food but it has been found 

 that seeds of bind-weed, wild sunflower and pigweed are also taken. 

 It seems to be a rather remarkable fact that the animal matter in 

 the food is eaten immediately and only plant matter or that which 

 will not spoil is carried away to be laid up for use when food is not 

 so abundant. Bailey showed this by pointing out that the cheek 

 pouches usually contained plant matter while the stomachs con- 

 tained food which could not be successfully stored. The striped 

 spermophile is considered a quite successful fighter and apparently 

 does not hesitate to attack and kill mice as well as smaller forms of 

 animal life. At the hands of its enemies it shares no better fate 

 itself for it is considered legitimate food by hawks, cats and other 



