148 Firrp Museum or Naturat History — Zoétocy, Vor. XI. 
made their appearance, and burrowed in an old embankment, within 
three or four rods of my father’s house. They seemed to have lost 
the shyness exhibited when leading a solitary life, and were not alarmed 
at the near approach of man. They even came about the kitchen 
door to pick up crumbs and disputed with the chickens for their food. 
Like the striped spermophiles, they glided silently to their burrows 
when alarmed, uttering, as they entered, a remarkably clear whistle 
twitter, more musical than the voice of any other mammal I ever 
listened to, and as clear as that of a bird. The same note was uttered 
when the animal was hurt or much frightened. They fed upon June- 
grass, clover, timothy, and the broad-leaved plantain, and seemed 
particularly fond of the leaves of the common mustard, of which some 
plants grew near their burrows. Other specimens examined in sum- 
mer had their stomachs filled with grass alone. In eating they sat 
bolt upright on the tarsi, and used their fore-feet as hands, to draw the 
leaves to their mouths, though their paws were used thus with less 
facility than those of the true squirrels. Though both the vegetable 
and flower gardens were situated within five rods of their burrows, 
I do not remember that they were observed to injure either. A num- 
ber of young chickens disappearing, however, and the eggs being eaten 
in several hens’ nests near the burrows of the spermophiles, suspicion 
rested upon them — probably unjustly — and a war of extermination 
was commenced. Several were shot, while others were killed with 
clubs, whereupon the survivors left in a body, as suddenly as they 
had come, and were never seen again, nor could they be found upon 
any part of the farm. I have known this spermophile to take refuge 
in a hollow tree, crowding up the hole like the grey-rabbit. Mr. F. 
C. Sherman, of Chicago, informs me that he twice saw one, when 
pursued, climb five or six feet up the trellis-work and vines at the 
side of the house. 
“The burrow of this species is usually deeper than that of the 
striped spermophile, but otherwise similar to it. The young I have 
not observed, but Mr. George S. Parker of Pecatonica, Illinois, writes 
me that he once saw five, and at another time seven young in a nest. 
They appear to go into winter-quarters in the fall, and re-appear in 
the spring, at about the same time as the striped spermophile. They 
have been found hibernating under piles of rails, and in corn-shocks; 
and I am informed of two instances in which one has been found torpid 
in a hay-stack, where he had formed a burrow in the hay. I have 
never heard of its hibernating in such situations. A caged specimen 
of Franklin’s spermophile, kept by Professor Baird, of the Smithsonian 
Institution, was active all winter; and Dr. A. M. P. Hughes, of Payson, 
