44 AVILD ANIMALS OF (iLAGIER NATIONAL PABK. 



the slope above the h(}teh One came to a. feed box below the hotel 

 near' the edge of the lake, and another could nsually be found on the 

 rocks near the chalet or along the canyon walls above the waterfall 

 where the river leaves the lake. They also were so tame that their 

 pictures could be taken at. a distance (if only 4 or 6 feet from the 

 camera, 'and often in very pretty attitudes as they sat on the rocks or 

 squatted, on their heels' shelling the oats before putting them in their 

 cheek pouches. At the north end of Waterton Lake two were in the 

 habit of coming to a 'place where horses had been fed on the ground, 

 and on several occasions I was able to secure photographs. As I sat 

 on the ground with the camera open they would feed all around me 

 with very little sign of alarm, and one gave beautiful illustrations 

 of muscular control of its tail. While sitting up watching me it 

 would often spread the tail to full width by drawing the skin for- 

 ward on each side imtil every hair stood out at right angles to the 

 axis, giving the tail a width of about an inch and a- half instead 

 of the usual half inch. It would thus spread and then close the 

 hairs slowly, just as a ruffed grouse often spreads and closes the tail 

 as it struts through the woods. I could not be sure whether the 

 motion was due to fear or surprise or a wish to puff itself up and 

 frighten me or another intruder of its- own species awaJ^ or whether 

 it was merel3' a vain displa)^ of its beautiful plume. Fortunately one 

 of my photographs showed this one's tail partially spread, its width 

 strongly ccntrasted with that of another individual in the same snap- 

 shot. It soon became accustomed to my presence, and would pay no 

 attention to me while l)usily filling its cheek pouches with oats which 

 had been scattered on the ground 'by the horses. Its nose was run 

 rapidly over the siirface of the ground until an oat was discovered 

 and quickly picked up in the teeth, and in about three motions as 

 quick as a flash the hull was removed and the kernel tucked into a 

 cheek pouch, t^omctimes the grain was held in one hand and grasped 

 between the fingers and the palm as the animal sat up on its heels, 

 but generally it was held between the two thumbs to be shelled. 

 The squirrels work so rapidly that in a few minutes the cheek pouches 

 begin to bulge, and in 10 or 15 minutes are puffed out like a bad case 

 of mumps, and then the animals run away and a little later return 

 with pockets empty. In Gmisight and Piegan Passes they were seen 

 on the rocks near extreme timberline, where they were gathering seeds 

 from the little wild plants and gleaning a few scattered oats along 

 the horse trails. They are generally found near rocks, old logs, or 

 other secure cover under which they burrow and make their winter 

 homes. They rarely climb frees, although in emergency thev can 

 cliinb to escape from danger. They are quiet little animals, not so 

 (juick and nervous as the chipmunks and generally silent. On rare 



