72 
ORDERS OF MAMMALS— GNAWING ANIMALS 
inches, tail, 14^ inches, and it weighs 4^ 
pounds. 
The most beautiful squirrel in the world is 
Prevost’s Squirrel 1 of the Malay Peninsula, a 
species about the size of a small gray squirrel. 
Its colors form a beautiful pattern of gray, 
brown, black, white and buff. 
Rock Squirrels, or Chipmunks. 
Next below the tree squirrels comes a large 
group of small squirrels which live on the ground, 
EASTERN CHIPMUNK. 
preferably amongst rocks, in which they find 
refuge from their enemies. In the absence of 
rocks, they live along fences, where any exist; 
but their favorite nesting-places are in hollow 
trees which can be entered directly from the 
ground. 
These little creatures are about one-thircl the 
size of large tree squirrels, and inasmuch as their 
small size renders them secure from the deadly 
attentions of man, they have become the most 
tame and confiding of all the wild mammals of 
civilization. They are graceful in form, beauti- 
ful in color-markings, and exceedingly pert and 
1 Sci-u'rus pre-vost'i. 
quick in their movements. When fully pro- 
tected, as they are in some public parks, they 
become so tame and confiding that they dart 
about on the walks in search of food, and often 
allow persons to pass within three feet of them. 
For convenience and clearness, we shall des- 
ignate all the chipmunks as Rock Squirrels, 
because of their well-known preference for rocks, 
whenever any are available. It is a mistake 
to call these animals “ground squirrels.” That 
name does not properly apply to them, but 
belongs to the next group. 
The Eastern Chipmunk 2 is widely known, 
and will serve admirably as the key to the group. 
When you walk in the country, almost anywhere 
in the eastern states, this pretty little creature 
darts in front of you like a flash of brown light, 
and says, “Chip, chip, chip, chip!” most glee- 
fully. If you stop to observe him, he pauses 
and looks at you very intently, wide-eyed and 
with ears erect, and save for the quick heaving 
of his tiny sides, remains as motionless as a 
stuffed squirrel. 
To him, every fence is a fortress. Whether it 
be of stone or wood, the Chipmunk knows its 
best runs when danger threatens, and carries in 
his active little brain a complete check-list of 
burrows and hiding-places. When pursued by 
dog, boy or wild animal, he darts swiftly along 
the top or the lower rails of his stockade, until 
he reaches a satisfactory hiding-place, when a 
flash of brown fur shoots into it, and he is seen 
no more. 
When hard pressed, Chipmunks frequently 
climb tree-trunks up to the lower branches, but 
such situations are very dangerous for them, 
because they are so seriously exposed to attack. 
Next to the birds of prey, the weasel, mink and 
fox are their worst enemies. The weasel is the 
worst of all, because it follows them into the 
remotest recesses of their burrows, and kills every 
inhabitant without mercy. 
Although the Chipmunk burrows in the ground 
below the frost line, and has roomy cheek- 
pouches in which it carries astonishingly large 
quantities of grain and small nuts, it is more 
nearly related to the tree squirrels than to the 
true ground squirrels. In the autumn it stores 
in its burrow a quantity of grain or nuts, which- 
ever is most abundant, — a habit which has sug- 
2 Tam'i-as stri-a'tus. 
