72 



ORDERS OF MAMMALS— GXAWING ANIMALS 



inches, tail, 14^- inches, and it weighs 4-'r 

 pounds. 



The most hcautiful sciuirrel in the world is 

 Prevost's Squirrel' of the Malay Peninsula, a 

 species about the size of a small gray squirrel. 

 Its colors form a beautiful pattern of gray, 

 brown, black, white and buft'. 



Rock Squirrels, or Chipmunks. 



Next below the tree squirrels comes a large 

 group of small squirrels which live on the ground, 



EASTERN CHIPMUNK. 



preferably amongst rocks, in which they find 

 refuge from their enemies. In the absence of 

 rocks, they live along fences, where any exist; 

 but their favorite nesting-places are in hollow 

 trees which can be entered directly from the 

 ground. 



These little creatures are about one-third the 

 size of large tree squirrels, and inasmuch as their 

 small size renders them secure from the deadly 

 attentions of man, they have become the most 

 tame and confiding of all the wild mammals of 

 civilization. They are graceful in form, beauti- 

 ful in color-markings, and exceedingly pert and 

 ' Sci-u'rus pre-vost'i. 



quick in their movements. When fully pro- 

 tected, as they are in some pubhc parks, they 

 become so tame and confiding that they dart 

 about on the walks in search of food, and often 

 allow persons to pass within three feet of them. 



For convenience and clearness, we shall des- 

 ignate all the chipmunks as Rock Squirrels, 

 because of their well-known preference for rocks, 

 whenever any are available. It is a mistake 

 to call these animals "ground squirrels." That 

 name does not properly apply to them, but 

 belongs to the next group. 



The Eastern Chipmunk' is widely known, 

 and will serve admirably as the key to the group. 

 When 3'ou walk in the country, almost anywhere 

 in the eastern states, this pretty httle creature 

 darts in front of ,vou like a flash of brown light, \ 

 and says, "Chip, chip, chip, chip!" most glee- I 

 fully. If you stop to observe him, he pauses 

 and looks at you very intently, wide-eyed and 

 with ears erect, and save for the quick heaving 

 of his tiny sides, remains as motionless as a 

 stufl'ed squirrel. 



To him, every fence is a fortress. Whether it 

 be of stone or wood, the Chipmunk knows its 

 best runs when danger threatens, and carries in 

 his active little brain a complete check-list of 

 bvuTows and hiding-places. When pursued by 

 dog, bo3^ or wild animal, he darts swiftly along 

 the top or the lower rails of his stockade, until 

 he reaches a satisfactory hiding-place, when a 

 flash of brown fur shoots into it, and he is seen 

 no more. 



When hard pressed, Chipmunks frequently 

 climb tree-trunks up to the lower branches, but 

 such situations are \'ery dangerous for them, 

 because they are so seriously exposed to attack. 

 Next to the birds of prey, the weasel, mink and 

 fox arc their worst enemies. The weasel is the 

 worst of all, because it follows them into the 

 remotest recesses of their burrows, and kills every 

 inhabitant without mercy. 



Although the Chipmunk burrows in the ground 

 below the frost line, and has roomy cheek- 

 pouches in which it carries astonishingly large 

 quantities of grain and small nuts, it is more 

 nearly related to the tree S(|uirrels than to the 

 true ground squirrels. In the autumn it stores 

 in its burrow a quantity of grain or nuts, which- 

 ever is most abundant, — a habit which has sug- 

 " Tam'i-as slri-a'lus. 



