THE ANTELOPE CHIPMUNK 99 



learn to tell them from the retreats of other 

 small mammals of the region. The burrows 

 are neither deep nor extensive. Last spring a 

 number of desert chipmunks took up their 

 residence near my house, moving from their 

 quarters down on the flat up onto the mountain- 

 side into an abandoned wood rat's hole, so that 

 they could be nearer the place where I kept 

 food out for the birds. Many a dispute they 

 then had with the desert sparrows, the towhees, 

 and the rock wrens at the food table. Being 

 more audacious and pugnacious, the chipmunks 

 always cleared the way for themselves and sent 

 the poor birds away to get their share of the 

 grain when they could. 



Among this lot of ammos was one bully, a 

 very large fellow, who always ruled the food 

 yard with an iron hand ; and he let it be known 

 that all others who ate there did so at his 

 sufferance. Upon his arrival the other chip- 

 munks generally scurried off a little way and 

 then approached cautiously to test out his good 

 nature before eating in his presence. They 

 seemed to understand that he had marked out 

 his sphere of influence and that he was able to 



