North American Sciuridce or Squirrels. 69 



" Say's Chipmunk " (Tamias lateralis} was very abundant. Sev- 

 eral specimens were shot with their cheek pouches (which are very 

 ample) enormously distended with grass roots, that the animal had 

 been digging. The ranchmen told me that it was of no use to try 

 to plant a garden, as these " chipmunks" would dig up and eat 

 the seeds before they had a chance to sprout. The Rocky Moun- 

 tain Chipmunk (Tamias asiaiicus quadnvittatus) is also very abund- 

 ant, and July 15th the young were about two-thirds grown. They 

 are a very pretty animal. The sand-colored animals exhibited are 

 the "Richardson's Spermophile " (Sper/nop/iilus richardsoni), an 

 animal very abundant at Coulter, in Middle Park. The small 

 gray animal flecked with white is the " Sonora Ground Squirrel" 

 {Spermophilus spilosomd). I found this animal rather rare at Las 

 Cruces, New Mexico, where it lives in burrows in the sand. 



I was very anxious to secure specimens of " Abert's Squirrel" 

 (Sciurus aberli), named in honor of our esteemed member, Col. 

 Abert. I saw one at Trinidad, Colorado. It was high up on a 

 mountain side, and it rushed rapidly away through the tops of the 

 pifion bushes. I could not follow fast enough, as the altitude was 

 great, and my breath gave out, and to my regret it escaped. It is 

 the most beautiful of North American Sciuridce. It has ear-tufts 

 which are over an inch long. It is a great desideratum in most 

 collections. 



I saw thousands of "Prairie Dogs" (Cynomys hidovicianus) on 

 the plains, and numbers of the " Western Prairie Dogs" (Cynomys 

 columbianus) in Colorado. Cynomys, miscalled "dog," is a squirrel, 

 and is nothing like a dog either in shape, color or action. Its shrill 

 bark has nothing dog-like about it, and nothing is more inappro- 

 priate than its vernacular name of "Prairie Dog." It does not 

 share its burrow, willingly or otherwise, with Burrowing Owls or 

 Rattlesnakes. I have never seen Cynomys, Crotalus and Spcotyto 

 go into the same hole together. I think Cynomys does the digging, 

 and the others appropriate the holes, either after Cynomys quit 

 them, or the presence of the owls or snakes causes them to do so. 

 This popular story of the "Prairie Dog, ' owls and snakes living 

 together seems to be a myth of great antiquity. 



The " Prairie Dog" sits erect on the edge of its hole, and when 

 shot plunges into it, and quickly slips out of reach. Dr. Coues 

 says of them: " Each tenant sits bolt upright on the mound of 

 earth at his hole, vociferating his curiosity or displeasure, and on 



