■1911] Taylov: Mammals of the 1909 Xevada Expedition. 215 



Habits. — Citelhis Oregon us is one of the most commonly 

 distributed mammals on high meadows, being very numerous 

 locally in the mountains, for example on a large meadow on 

 Alder Creek, where the ground was literally honeycombed by 

 burrows of the animal, as it sometimes is in southern California 

 in regions badly infested by Citellus h. fisheri. When we trav- 

 ersed this meadow with our burro-train probably twenty squirrels 

 scurried to cover. They were most common at this altitude (7000 

 feet), though quite a number were seen as high as 8500 and as low 

 as 6000 feet. 



Along Alder Creek they were common in all sorts of situa- 

 tions, their burrows and themselves being seen on open meadows, 

 on exposed ridges, under huge boulders, in thick groves of 

 quaking aspens, and under logs. They were observed most 

 characteristically, however, on open meadows, where their erect 

 and motionless attitude made them resemble stakes driven into 

 the ground. 



For the most part we found them to be rather shy. Their 

 call-note has a whistle-like quality, and is made up of nine or 

 ten connected, high-pitched "chips," of either monotone or 

 descending inflection. The call may be imitated by a "chi-chi- 

 ehi-chi" rapidly repeated. 



A burrow near which a juvenal was taken was dug out and 

 found to have a tortuous course which turned upward after 

 going down to a depth of six inches. The burrow was small 

 compared with one near which an adult was shot, being about 

 three inches in diameter. The opening of the larger burrow 

 measured four inches in height by eight inches broad. Possibly 

 the youngster was starting in for himself. As in the case of 

 other Citellus there were good-sized mounds of earth outside of 

 all burrows observed. 



They have great tenacity of life, and generally manage to 

 crawl out of reach though mortally wounded. If startled the 

 speed with which they disappear is marvelous. One shot July 3 

 at an altitude of 6900 feet on Big Creek had its cheeks stuffed 

 full of green weed-seeds. 



Apparently we arrived on the scene of operations during the 

 suckling period rather than the period of gestation. Three 



