THE GROUND SQUIRRELS OP Cx\LIFORNIA. 681 



of a Mountain Coyote {Canis latrans testes) in the Yosemite National 

 Park. Near Monaehe Meadows, in the Sierras of eastern Tulare County, 

 one of the writers saw a Mountain Weasel {Mustela arkonensis) in 

 full pursuit of a " Callo ' ' across open ground in the full sunshine of 

 the bright forenoon of August 4, 1911. The squirrel was overtaken 

 by the weasel, and what happened transpired so swiftly that no details 

 were observable. A gunshot terminated the episode, and the "Callo" 

 was found already stone dead, with two tooth-punctures on each side of 

 the nape of its neck. 



The Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels hibernate regularly. They 

 doubtless construct warm, dry nests underground, as individuals have 

 been seen gathering soft materials and carrying these to their burrows. 

 In one instance an individual was seen to pick up a piece of brown paper 

 and after tearing it with its teeth and forepaws, stuff it into its cheeks 

 and disappear into a burrow (C. L. Camp, MS). By the last of August 

 these ground squirrels begin to acquire fat, and during September and 

 October they are simply "rolling in butter," as the saying goes. This 

 seems to be in preparation for their long period of dormancy, which 

 extends from the last of October to the middle of April. 



Exact dates of going into, and coming out of, their winter sleep are 

 not available to us. But in the Yosemite region in 1915 individuals 

 were seen abroad in the Canadian life-zone commonly up to October 18 ; 

 on October 30, in the same zone, but tw^o individuals were seen on the 

 same ground where very many were noted a month previously; and 

 none at all were seen on subsequent dates when they were looked for 

 at suitable altitudes. The estimate of April 15 as near the time of 

 reappearance in the spring is based on what we have been told by 

 trappers and forest rangers, and their statements were only from 

 memory. 



Since the territory inhabited by the Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel 

 is practically altogether above the altitudinal limit of cultivation by 

 man, this species rarely figures as anything worse than a camp-robber 

 or "bummer" (see fig. 20d). We have heard packers complain of its 

 proclivities in the way of carrying qff grain or provisions from summer 

 camps in the higher mountains. But the total destruction of property 

 thus wrought can hardly be formidable, and compensating for it to 

 some degree must be counted the added animation lent to the mountain 

 scene by the presence of these pleasing rodents. 



INYO GOLDEN-MANTLED GROUND SQUIRREL. 

 Oallospermophilus chrysodeirus perpallidus Grinnell. 



Other names. — Sierra Goldeu-mantled Ground Squirrel, part; Yellow-headed Chip- 

 munk, part; Callospermofhilus chrysodeiriis, part; Spermophilus chrysodeirus, part; 

 Citelhis chrysodeirus, part. 



Field characters. — Exactly the same as for the Sierra Golden-mantled Ground 

 Squirrel, save for pallor of coloration. 



Description. — Adult in fresh late-summer pelage : Pattern of coloration and chief 

 features throughout preciselj' as in the Sierra Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel, but 

 general tone of coloration paler ; middle of back, rump and sides tending towards 



