THE LEOPARD MARMOT. 713 



and a half of trefoil in the same receptacles. It is a very prudent crea- 

 ture, continuing to add to its winter store till the frost stops its work. 

 Dr. Wright watched one collecting its store. It took a hickory nut and 

 pushed it into one of its pouches with both paws, then it stuffed two into 

 the other cheek, and finally took another nut in its teeth. It always 

 carried four nuts at a time. The stock they thus accumulate is very 

 large ; often a peck of corn or nuts has been found in spring in the bur 

 rows of one of these Squirrels. 



The Chipmuck has a slender body, and is beautifully marked. The 

 anterior portion of the back is hoary-gray, the hinder portion reddish- 

 fawn. A dark line runs along the back, a broad yellowish-white line 

 runs from the shoulders to the thighs, bordered on each side with black. 

 The fur on the body is a beautiful downy-white. 



The Burunduk, Tamias striatus, is smaller than the common squirrel, 

 but stouter built. The head is long, the eyes large, the ears short and 

 small, the limbs strong, the soles of the feet bare, the tail is only slightly 

 bushy. The color of the short, rough, thick-lying fur is, on the head, 

 neck, and sides, yellowish ; on the back there are five black stripes ; the 

 two lowest inclosing a yellowish band between them. The abdomen is 

 grayish-white ; the tail black above, yellowish below ; the whiskers are 

 black. The Burunduk is a native of Siberia. 



GENUS SPERMOPHILUS. 



The twenty-six species of this genus are distributed from the Arctic 

 Ocean to Mexico on the west coast of this continent, but they do not 

 pass east of Lake Michigan and the Lower Mississippi. In the Old 

 World they extend from Siberia through South Russia to the Amoor 

 and Kamschatka, being most abundant in the desert plains of Tartary 

 and Mongolia. These pretty creatures have a long 1. :ad, a slender body, 

 ears hidden in their fur, a short tail, only bushy at the extremity, five 

 toes on the hind feet, and large cheek-pouches. 



The Leopard Marmot, Spcrmophilus Hoodii (Plate LVII), is about 

 the same size as the Chipmuck, and is remarkable for the brilliant and 

 conspicuous manner in which its fur is diversified with contrasting hues. 

 Along the back are drawn eight pale yellowish-brown bands, and nine 

 dark-brown bands of greater width. The five upper bands are marked 

 with pale spots. The coloring is slightly variable, both in distribution 

 90 



