176 ANIMAL LIFE IN THE YOSEMITE 



some distance off, dug a hole in the ground, using the forefeet, thrust the 

 object into the little excavation, then covered the place with earth again, 

 after which it poked small loose stones over the site so as to further disguise 

 it. Probably, as in the case of the California Jay, these caches are 

 temporary affairs, the food being dug up again after a short time and eaten. 

 At Merced Lake four of these squirrels were noted on one occasion gleaning 

 grain scattered on the ground where horses had been fed. 



The nest of this species is placed in the ground. At Merced Grove one 

 individual had its burrow in open ground close to .several tents. At Crane 

 Flat several of the animals were seen to disappear into burrows surrounded 

 by low brush plants. In the higher altitudes many had their burrows on 

 the open floor of the lodgopole pine forest, sometimes, but not always, 

 beneath rocks. Unfortunately we did not dig out any burrows of this 

 species and no one else seenLS to have done so in the region, so we know 

 nothing as to the arrangement of the burrow system. Presumably it does 

 not differ greatly from those of the California and Belding ground squir- 

 rels; if anything, it might be expected to be simpler in plan. 



The animal which had its burrow at Merced Grove was seen to choose 

 as nest material some brown wrapping paper which had been left nearby. 

 This was torn into small pieces by use of both the teeth and forepaws 

 and stuffed into the cheek pouches. Then the squirrel disappeared into 

 its burrow, doubtless to add the paper to the lining of the nest chamber. 



Like the other local squirrels the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel has 

 only one brood a year ; this brood is produced in the early part of the 

 summer season. Females containing embryos were taken in 1915 on June 

 12 (two on this date), 14, 26, and 28, the numbers of embryos in these 

 instances being 2, 5, 6, 6, and 5, respectivel)\ The young stay below ground 

 until about one-third to one-half grown. Mr. Dixon saw numbers of young 

 of this species on the east slope of the Sierras above Mono Lake Post Office 

 between altitudes of 7000 and 7800 feet on July 5, 1916. 



Only one bit of information regarding the enemies of the "callo" was 

 obtained. The droppings of a Mountain Coyote on Colby Mountain were 

 found to contain hair of this species. 



Taiioe Chipmunk. Eutamias speciosus f rater (Allen) 



Field characters. — Size mcdiumis for a chipmunk (head and body 4^/^ to 5 inches, 

 tail 31/1 to 3% inches long). (Sec pi. 3c.) Tail bushy, flat-appearing, the long hairs on 

 each side bright brown at bases, then black, with buffy white at tips. Back with nine 

 alternating light and dark stripes, the outermost light stripe on ettch side being con- 

 spicuously pure white; si<le of head witli five sharply defined stripes, alternately dark 

 and white from above downward; sides of body bright reddish brown; top of head and 

 rump grayish; under surface of body whitish. Distinguished from mariposac, quadri 

 maculatus, and scncx by smaller size, and from monocnsis, pivtiis, and alpinus by larger 



