CHIPMUNKS 189 



tree. Others were seen the same day along the fence, usually running on 

 some rail below the top one. 



Along the 'short' trail to Glacier Point above the 5700 foot contour 

 several chipmunks of this species were noted on October 9, 1914, running 

 about over rocks and beneath the brush. The observer stopped and 

 'squeaked,' whereupon one of the chipmunks perched on a rock beneath 

 a bush and began to wave his tail slowly back and forth. Presently he 

 began to utter the low guttural chuck or hock at short regularly spaced 

 intervals, thrashing the tail spasmodically from side to side or diagonally 

 fore-and-aft in unison with the notes. The note, while low at first, later 

 became clear and resonant, with a far-carrying quality. A movement on 

 the part of the observer caused the chipmunk to whisk away through the 

 brush. 



In the warmer months of the year these chipmunks become active by 

 sunrise. At Merced Grove Big Trees on June 10, 1915, four were out 

 and running about near our camp at 6 :10 a.m., just after the sun had 

 appeared over the nearby ridge. The animals are active throughout the 

 day, but usually disappear at sunset or as soon as the chill of evening sets 

 in. The period of hibernation for this species is shorter than for any 

 other save the foothill-inhabiting mariposae. Long-eared Chipmunks were 

 out in force at Hazel Green on May 14, 1915, and had probably been out 

 there for some, time, previously. When we visited Yosemite Point on 

 October 30, 1915, we found the species still abroad in numbers; several 

 brush-inhabiting chipmunks, probably of this species, were noted at Chin- 

 quapin on November 26, 1914. But on December 30, 1914, a visit to 

 Gentrys where Long-eared Chipmunks are common in summer revealed 

 none of the animals ; they were then doubtless all in hibernation. 



The breeding season of the Long-eared Chipmunk occurs at about the 

 same time as does that of the other local chipmunks. A female taken at 

 Merced Grove Big Trees on June 11, 1915, contained 4 small embryos, and 

 another taken on the same date had 5 large ones. Two females taken 

 June 10 and 24, respectively, in 1915, gave indications of having suckled 

 young recently. We were not in the range of this species at the season 

 when the young might be expected to appear, and by early fall we found 

 the young-of-the-year indistinguishable in point of size from the adults. 



Chipmunks, like many other wild animals, are often troubled with fleas 

 and not infrequently they may be seen scratching themselves to get rid of 

 the parasites. A Long-eared Chipmunk was watched one day while so 

 engaged. The animal scratched vigorously, but that seemed not to bring 

 the desired relief. He then resorted to a 'dry' bath. Pulling off some of 

 the hard outer wood on a piece of decayed log the chipmunk repeatedly 

 dragged his body through the rotted wood dust inside. The ground 



