310 NATURAL HISTORY READER. 



THE CHIPMUNK AT HOME. 



1. With the first sweet blossoms of the Epigma, and 

 long before the foremost warbler greets his old-time home 

 with gleesome songs, our little chipmunk has roused him- 

 self from his long winter's nap, and, sniffing the south 

 wind as it whirls the dead leaves about, scampers to and 

 fro while the sun shines, and dives into his winter quarters, 

 it may he for a whole week, if the north wind whispers to 

 the tall beech-trees. But the blustering days of March 

 give way in due time to showery April, and then, with 

 more courage, "chip" faces the music of the winds, blow 

 they from whatever quarter* and, darting along the top 

 rail of our zigzag fences, chatters, scolds, and calls at and 

 to his equally noisy companions. They know full well 

 that they have the summer before them, and, while de- 

 termined to enjoy it, begin early and in good earnest to 

 make arrangements for its coming duties. We watched 

 several pairs of them from March to November, during the 

 last year (1874), and our sketch is based on numerous notes 

 made at different times. 



2. Until the weather became fairly settled, and really 

 spring-like in temperature, these little chipmunks did not 

 frequently show themselves, and then only in the middle 

 of the day. The occurrence of a cold storm they appeared 

 to foretell by twenty-four hours, and resumed their hiber- 

 nating sleep, becoming lethargic, and very difficult to re- 

 store to consciousness. A pair that we dug out in March, 

 having two days before re-entered their winter quarters and 

 become again torpid, were apparently lifeless when first 

 taken up in the hands, and not until after several hours' 

 warming did they become lively and altogether themselves 

 again. This seemed to us the more curious, in that they 

 can respond to a favorable change in the weather in a short 



