260 ECONOMIC MAMMALOGY 



The following items concerning New Mexico squirrels are derived 

 from Ligon's report: 11 Arizona gray squirrel (Sciurus arizonensis) : 

 diet varied, but "feeds almost exclusively on walnuts after these nuts 

 become matured;" also eats roots. New Mexican red squirrel (S. fre- 

 monti neomexicanus) : feeds upon spruce and fir seeds. Abert tufted- 

 ear squirrel (S 1 . aberti) : feeds extensively on pine twigs and inner bark, 

 even sometimes when acorns and pine nuts, both favorite foods, be- 

 come available. Rock squirrels (Otospermophilus grammurus) : "fre- 

 quently become serious pests about farms, where, unless trapped or 

 poisoned, they carry off the greater part of the farmer's ripening corn. 

 . . . Also a robber of the nests of ground-nesting birds and domestic 

 fowl." 



Gary furnishes the following items concerning Colorado squirrels: 12 

 Rock squirrel (0. grammurus} : food chiefly pinyon nuts, acorns and 

 juniper berries [no pinyons or acorns in a considerable part of its 

 range] ; said to be fond of young chickens; destroys apricots on the 

 trees to get the seeds ; burrows into melons and cantaloupes for seeds ; 

 digs up newly planted corn. Pine squirrel (S. fremonti) : "feeds chiefly 

 upon pine and spruce cones." Gary San Luis chipmunk (Eutamias 

 minimus caryi) : seen storing seeds of chico bush. Utah chipmunk 

 (E. dorsalis utahensis) : chief food is juniper berries. Least chipmunk 

 (E. minimus) : seen in tops of sagebrush and grease wood and gather- 

 ing a winter supply of buffalo berries. Hopi chipmunk (E. quadrivitta- 

 tus hopiensis) : feeds extensively on juniper berries. 



Howell's Alabama report furnishes the following items: 13 Bangs 

 chipmunk ( Tamias striatus venustus) : feeds on nuts, seeds, grains and 

 insect larvae. Southern gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) , lives 

 mostly where nuts abound and they form its chief food. Flesh ex- 

 cellent. Southern fox squirrel (S. niger) : food acorns, pine nuts, etc., 

 and green corn. Southeastern flying squirrel (Glaucomys volans satura- 

 tus), feeds chiefly on nuts, berries and seeds, fond of meat, occasionally 

 destroys insects, does a little damage to pecan groves and stored nuts, 

 but not serious. 



The Wyoming ground squirrel (Citellus elegans) is "the most de- 

 structive rodent found in the state" of Colorado, or at least the most 

 difficult to contend with, though the prairie-dog causes greater financial 

 loss. Damages grain and hay. A meadow producing 12 tons of hay per 



11 Ligon, Wild life of New Mexico, New Mexico Game Comm. Bull., 1927. 



12 Gary, A biological survey of Colorado, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 33, 1911. 



13 Howell, A biological survey of Alabama, N. Amer. Fauna, No. 45, 1921. 



