170 HANDBOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



simply astonishing; but however mad may be their galloping, 

 let a hawk swoop down or even pass over, and in a moment 

 every one is motionless. If they are on a fence, they simply 

 squat where they are and trust to luck to escape being seen. 

 If on the ground when an enemy is discovered, and not too 

 far from their underground nests, which is not often the 

 case, unless foraging, they will dart to these nests with in- 

 credible swiftness, and going, I think, the whale length of 

 the passageway to the nest proper, they turn about imme- 

 diately and retrace their steps to the entrance, from which 

 they will peer out and, when the danger is over, cautiously 

 reappear and recommence their sports. These creatures, 

 during the summer, play merely for play's sake, and seem 

 to have no more important object in view than amusement. 

 Indeed, so far as I have studied animal life, this indulgence 

 in play, just as children play, and for the same reasons, is 

 common to all animals. Frogs, perhaps, in this respect are 

 the nearest to being old fogies, as I never could detect any- 

 thing on their part that the most vivid imagination could 

 construe into ' having fun. 7 " 



About the middle of August the chipmunks settle down to 

 business. They now wander about in search of corn, 

 beechnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, and other seeds and grain. 

 With these treasures they fill their cheek pouches until they 

 look like children with the mumps. In this manner they 

 carry large stores of winter supplies into their nests. A 

 part of their provisions is stored in the nest proper ; the bal- 

 ance is laid down in the galleries and special storerooms. 

 This work is continued until the first heavy white frosts 

 appear ; at which time they largely give up their outdoor life. 



For some time, until real cold weather sets in, they live 

 on their stores ; but when winter begins in earnest they be- 

 come torpid, cuddle close together, and go to sleep in their 



Observations. Honeybees and bumblebees on flowers. 



