Some Sierran Chipmunks 



407 



the soft down, as much as they could carry, this presumably 

 for nest-lining. The enterprising little chap whose picture is 

 shown herewith discovered a short cut to affluence and the 

 means of furnishing his home far more luxuriously than his 

 neighbors. He was constantly exploring among the interest- 

 ing contents of our tent, and in the course of these investiga- 

 tions came upon something of real practical use — a large roll 

 of cotton batting ! Anything more ridiculous than this mite of 

 a creature standing before the enormous roll of cotton and en- 

 deavoring to cram it all into his cheek-pouches it would be hard 

 to imagine. Upright upon his haunches and with both arms 

 outspread, he gathered as much as his reach would encompass 

 and packed it in until his cheeks were bulging and long white 

 strands protruded on either side. Apparently he knew when 

 he had enough for his purpose, for after an active period of 

 journeying to and fro between the cotton and some hidden 

 nook in the rocks, he forsook this line of work and devoted 

 himself to other things. 



Our kitchen refuse included much that was attractive to the 

 chipmunks, and several of them were constantly about camp in 

 search of edibles. Everything of the sort was gathered in one 

 place, and they lost no time elsewhere, but went direct to this 

 spot. Prune-stones found great favor, and also trout-bones, 

 sometimes to be nibbled at where discovered and sometimes 

 carried elsewhere. When a whole fish skeleton clung together 

 it was some little task to remove it, and more than one nervous 

 chipmunk, scurrying away with such a load, trod on his trail- 

 ing burden and turned a complete somersault before he could 

 catch himself. 



Elsewhere they were seen busily engaged in garnering the 

 food upon which they doubtless mainly depend. The long 

 grasses of the region were now in seed, and on all sides the 

 chipmunks were encountered in these growths, sitting on their 

 haunches in order to pull the heads within reach, when the 

 seeds were stored away in their cheek-pouches. They were so 

 unsuspicious as to readily endure observation at distances of 

 but a few feet. Several were seen in pine trees, thirty or forty 

 feet from the ground, at work upon the cones, but for the most 

 part they labored on the ground. 



