AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



169 



GROUND SQUIRREL. 



SCIURUS (T AM IAS) LY STEEL 



[Plate XV.] 



Sciurus Lysteri. — Rat, Synops. Quad. 216. — Sciiirus 

 Striatus. Klein, Pall. Glires, 378. — Gmel. Schreb. 

 tab. 221. — Sciurus Ca^'olinensis, Briss. Reg. An. 15.5. 

 No. 9. — Ecureuil Suisse. — Desm. 339, 5 p. 547. — Es- 

 curieux Suisses. — Sagard-Theodat, Canada, P. 746. 

 Ground Squirrel, Lawson, Carolina, P. 124. — Cates- 

 by, Carol. Vol. 2. p. 75. — Edwards, Vol. 4, t. 181. 

 Kalm, Vol. \. p. 322. t. i. — GoDMAN, Vol.2, p. 142. 

 Striped Dormouse, Pennant — Arct. Zool. Vol. 1. p. 

 126. — Hackee, United States. — J. Doughty's Collec- 

 tion. 



The beautiful little animal whose biography and descrip- 

 tion we are about relating, is known to most of the inabi- 

 tants of the United States, being found in all districts of 

 the country, as far north as the 50th parallel; its chief ha- 

 bitation, however, appears to be in the vicinage of man, 

 although numbers may be seen on the shores of Lakes Hu- 

 ron and Superior. It is the first wild animal which at- 

 tracts the notice of infancy, who grow to manhood with 

 so intimate an acquaintance witli it, that it is unnoticed 

 either for its beauty, or interesting habits, because familiari- 

 ty has made it common ; but in a minute investigation of 

 its habits and properties, its beauties are more fully deve- 

 loped, and a close investigation of its foresight, and appa- 

 rent wisdom, will lead us to admire an animal from which 

 important instruction may be derived. 



Associated with the Ground Squirrel, are many pleasing 

 little reminiscenses, it recalls the mature mind to days 

 of boyhood, when that period was often wasted in the idle 

 enjoyment of persecuting this common inhabitant of the 

 wood, when hours and days were spent in almost fruitless 

 exertion to make it prisoner, when the country schoolboy 

 exhausted his truant hours, in more severe labour by chas- 

 ing from fence to fence, or from tree to tree, this active 

 animal — than days of study would create, and when the 

 rambles by the brook's margin, or through the lonely 

 wood, were mostly enlivened by the spirited chirping of 

 the Ground Squirrel. 



Often, too, in the solitary wilds of our country, where 

 nature appears almost forsaken of animated life, does the 

 traveller find a companion in this pretty Squirrel, while it 

 is passing swiftly from stone to stone, or scudding along the 

 fences by the road side. These fences, which are commonly 

 the ziz-zag or worm fences, afford them fine shelter from 

 U u 



their enemies, and a secure and regular path for their 

 fleetness. 



The favourite places of resort for the Ground Squirrel 

 are woods embedded with rocks and stones, the margin of 

 shaded brooks or creeks, along fences, old walls, and banks 

 adjacent to forests. They live in the ground, and their 

 burrows, are mostly at the foot of stumps or trees, and be- 

 side rocks, extending to a considerable distance beneath 

 the surface, having several branches from the principal pas- 

 sage, each of which is terminated by a store-house for their 

 winter supplies; and, as they feed on the various kinds of 

 nuts, the products of our forests, they deposit each in a se- 

 parate cell, accumulating, through the summer and autumn, 

 a most incredible quantity of provisions for the emergencies 

 of winter. This provident store is never impaired, until 

 the severities of the climate confines them to their burrows. 

 During the summer season, they eat corn, wheat, rye, 

 cherry-stones, acorns, &c. Their favourite food, however, 

 is chesnuts, and in forests where these trees abound, num- 

 bers of these animals may always be found. Their bur- 

 rows frequently possess two entrances, to afford them 

 either a more easy access to their cells, or to escape more 

 readily from their enemies. 



These animals are seldom seen on trees, unless driven 

 there for refuge, but may be found at all hours of the day, 

 during the warm weather, sitting on the summit of some 

 rock, stump, or fence, in a manner as represented in the 

 plate, where, if unmolested, they will remain for hours, 

 whistling and chattering away the tedium of a summer's day, 

 making so much noise as to be heard from the most re- 

 mote recess of the wood. Should they be intruded on at 

 this period, their noise will cease, and after a short pause, 

 watching the progress of the intruder, they will glide ra- 

 pidly into their holes, with a shrill cry or whistle peculiar 

 to this action. They are timid animals, and seldom wan- 

 der far from their burrows, except in search of food, and, 

 as the early morning and late evening are devoted to this 

 purpose, it requires much wariness in the pursuer to sur- 

 prise them, and if successful in doing this, they will then 

 ascend the nearest trees, which, if somewhat detached from 

 other trees, they are frequently captured. They are con- 

 sidered the most untameable of their species, and can sel- 

 dom be reduced to familiarity, but will generally bite their 

 keeper, and survive only a short time, if imprisoned. 



These Squirrels never migrate, but, if undisturbed, keep 

 possession of the same tenements, year after year during 

 the short period of their existence, and in the first open 

 weather of spring, thej"^ disincumber their habitations of 

 all rubbish, preparatory to gathering in the harvest for the 

 next winter; then may found at the mouths of their bur- 

 rows, the shells of hickory, beach, and chesnuts, acorns. 



