664 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



is born each year. On July 31, on Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite Park, 

 young Picket-pins were out in parties of six mostly, and sat about the 

 mouths of their burrows or foraged in the very near vicinity. When 

 frightened all members of each group darted for their refuge at the 

 same time, crowding into the hole with some difficulty. 



Belding Ground Squirrels become very fat in late summer and hiber- 

 nate regularly ; but exact dates of beginning hibernation in the autumn 

 and emerging in the spring are wanting. We do know that they are 

 not averse to running about over the surface of the snow at high alti- 

 tudes in June, and so probably come out much earlier, and that in one 

 year, 1915, they were still out as late as October 7 in the vicinity of 

 Ten Lakes, Yosemite Park, although a light snowfall had already 

 occurred. They were numerous on the extensive meadows in Tioga 



Fig. 22. Third-grown young Belding Ground Squirrel; photographed by J. Dixon, 

 June 28, 1916, near Williams Butte, Mono County. 



Pass on September 28. It is evident that, in spite of its more elevated 

 habitat, the Belding Ground Squirrel goes into its winter sleep a full 

 two months later than the Oregon Ground Squirrel. 



Like the Oregon Ground Squirrel, the Belding feeds largely on grass 

 stems and blades. An individual has been seen gathering seeds from 

 grass heads, pulling the latter down to its mouth with its fore feet; 

 but it is certainly not the seed-eater that the California and Golden- 

 mantled ground squirrels are. Neither is there evidence that the Belding 

 stores up much food. As with the Oregon species, its cheek-pouches 

 are small (see fig. 13b). At Soda Springs, on Tuolumne Meadows, the 

 Belding Squirrels have been seen foraging like rats about the mule 

 corral. 



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