THE GROUXD SQUIRRELS. SI 



trees and bushes. They are diurnal, and feed chiefly upon buds and herbage, but also devour small 

 birds, eggs, and insects. The best known species (Xerus rutilans) is about twenty inches long, of 

 which the tail makes about nine inches. Its colour is reddish-yellow above, becoming paler on the 

 sides, and whitish below. 



The true GROUND SQUIRRELS (Tamias) are distinguished from the rest of the Squirrels (Sciurina), 

 and approach the Marmots, which form a second sub-family of Sciuridae. Like some of the latter, they 

 possess large cheek-pouches opening into the mouth. The ears in this genus are short ; the fourth 

 toe of the fore feet Ls longer than the rest, as in all the Sciurinse; the limbs are short, and 

 nearly equal in length ; and the tail is shorter than in the true Squirrels. In general form and 

 appearance, however, the Ground Squirrels greatly resemble the latter, except that they are 

 rather stouter in the body. Four species of this group inhabit the continent of North America, 

 where they are known as Chipmunks ; and one of these, according to Mr. J. A. Allen, is identical with 



COMMON* CHIPMUNK. 



the only known Old "World species (Tamias asiaticus), which is found in North-eastern Europe and 

 across Northern Asia, as far as the mouth of the Amoor, North China, and Japan. This species, 

 which goes by different names in the different localities which it inhabits, and the COMMON 

 CHIPMUNK (Tamias striatus) of the United States, agree very closely in all respects, and are 

 exceedingly pretty little animals, with light-coloured fur adorned with darker stripes, varied 

 in the case of the Chipmunk with streaks of white. They are from eight to ten inches long, in- 

 cluding the tail. These animals live in burrows in the ground, and feed upon nuts, acorns, grain, 

 and other seeds of various kinds, of which they lay up great stores in the autumn, carrying home 

 their provisions in their cheek-pouches, which they stuff as full as they can hold. In this way they 

 do no small damage to cultivated grounds near their haunts, plundering the corn and maize fields 

 very freely; over eight pounds of corn in the ear are often found in the granaries of the Siberian form. 

 The burrow is made deep enough to protect the animals from frost in winter, and the sleeping 

 chamber contains a large nest of leaves and grass, in which several individuals, probably the parents 

 with their grown-up family, sleep through the cold weather ; but it must be remarked that their 

 torpidity is very imperfect, and that they have frequent recourse to the supplies of food which they 

 have stored up during the summer and autumn in separate chambers at the ends of lateral passages. 

 These stores are so large that they genei-ally greatly exceed the wants of the provident little animals, 



