312 NATURAL HISTORY RE AD EH. 



'•ground-squirrels," as they are more commonly called. 

 From the fact of these little animals living wholly under- 

 ground, and it being stated that their underground homes 

 were quite elaborate in structure, we determined to wait 

 until the pair in our yard had completed their excavations 

 in and under the stone wall and arranged their nest, which 

 time we judged by their actions, and then seeking out the 

 home of another couple, which was readily accessible, we 

 undertook to expose the nest and its approaches. This we 

 did on May 29th. 



4. The nest contained five young, not more than forty- 

 eight hours old. The two entrances were at the foot of 

 a large beech-tree standing about six feet from the brow of 

 the hill. The grass alone grew about the tree, and the 

 holes on the surface of the ground were very conspicuous. 

 No attempt at concealment had been made ; but this was 

 evidently because there is here almost a total absence of 

 their particular enemies. Animals soon learn this fact, 

 and their homes and habits vary with the knowledge. 

 From the right-hand entrance to the nest was an inter- 

 vening space of nine feet traversed by a cylindrical passage 

 somewhat serpentine in its course, which made the distance 

 really about twelve feet. The nest itself was oval, about 

 twenty inches in length and ten inches in height. It was 

 lined with very fine grass. We had hoped to find several 

 passages leading from the nest, and two or more "extra" 

 nests, or magazines for storing away food, but no trace of 

 them was to be found. 



5. On the 23d of June six young chipmunks made 

 their appearance about the stone wall in the yard, and to 

 these, with their parents, we will now confine our atten- 

 tion. It puzzles us now, when we think of it, to imagine 

 when this company of eight chipmunks took any rest. 

 Very frequently during the summer we were astir at sun- 

 rise, but the chipmunks were already on the go, and 



