Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-03-07
HABITS OF CHlPNUNkS.
How They Appear When They Arc
Seen at Close Range.


ally be coming sub,.u.d. and HhS ~l;-
ting or Il rock ne..r a lake V;itiIS I"r
,.aikncss; Down along tn" shore ~"
night hrronS w-,,. quietly fr"j!i'lG. .i."i
i brlted king fisher vas n.t.' hing IN"
waiter from his perch on thu ri ~ i"ic
Of an Oil oathnuee.
soon | bee .!mc aware "f another
sound. low. bat distinct; the busy little
.ound made by sharp squirrel teeth
scraping on he hard shell of hickory
nat. l moved my head slowly. ana
there ON IL fat stone, quite near me.
sat ~ Chipmunk. busy as the Pi"Ftrp'll
bee, but not TOO bus! to keep one oil hef
Eyes fixed carefully on me. she rest
ed on her Launches. ana in her neat
llil. hands she held Il nut doubtltSS 4
last bite" before she retired To bed.
Near her one the. stoIi- lay The empty
shells of several other nuts which she
hld probably eaten earlier in the tN"'i-
iis.
Presently she finished her meal. after
which she carefully washed her race
with heI front paws, took "A Few p"I'h
turns from sid" 10 side of the stone s!f
bad been sitting ON. ANA then "hiShr"
INFO u hole near the root OF u Tree As
soon rs she had gone. | went !" eN-
anime the remains of the feast. Tor
empty nutSh-ls. provided they nave
been opened by animals. are always
objects of interest 10 me.
1t is possible to tell. as q rule. W nat
animal has opened u particular shell.
bv the manner in which the shell has
been cut. The. shells i'll question had
had their tons cut off evenly, almost
as tiouch the work had been done
with "A knife. except that the tops
themselves were reduced to powder by
the incsors of the little rodent. THIS
is characteristic, of nutshells which
have. been opened by chipmunkS
on many other evenings later | saw
this graceful little creature eating her
SUPPER and making her toilet before
gon. to bed. and after Il few disal.-
,.nintmenls on my part. WAS allowed
Ia sill Very close to her particular rock
uithout her showing signs 81. alarm.
In November she Went indoors to stay,
and did not see her again untii TIC
spring. when one afternoon ! came
upon her pear her hurrou. surrounded
by Il family of little ones.
| WAS nnNiouS to examine one Of
The youngsters. So | ran quickly up.
and - they Scu,ried Away | attempted
to catch ole. Unfortunately. I'll /
managed to take hold OF was the lip
of IN. tail and rs the skin of ,h,t
n,.mbcr is extremely hrirtl. SOM. Two
inches of fur WAS left in my hand
However. the loss did MOI seem tn ,f
f.t his St.irits 4, an. for next dtv.
from - hiding ,,l;,cc. | saw him uI;..inc
.nyly enough with his brcti,r,u an
inch and i half nj Hairless t,il ,n;lti,"
i, am easy ml1t.r To DISTINGUISH him.
4 few DAVIS later the hairless part 90
th,. .rt.pnda-. had dis;lppp ire.l. ANA
!. yeas ei,n.lv , eh,rt .t:,iled rhinnunk
;,nI * FAR rs | ,n1ll SEQ non. the
v,u.>. Tor In. ,,bhr, Walton.
iI,v.v.r my ,ous.i.ntr. urif.i,cd mo
I'm h,.iue tn. cans. of EiS loss so
have kent my ~. on IN. Hitl, fellow.
and nov and th.r I h,vt. had n chaurr
a. do him a good turtl tn even things
M /, hit
Not hong az, di.roy. red 4 new
,hiun,mk h1r-,,v ,hout :, ,i1art.r az
:, n,ii,. fran, IN. ,;u. non, ,hr noul ,pd
was Interested =, GnG that my
.;triIad friend with h. short tail was
Tue owner ~ ne 'it" Way bI inc
dwelling is un,l a StIIini, ard in FROM
or il ,u,-ls . llr... roo which served him
for y seat nj \ table. ~ lhr same time
Here il is ti,nt no brinus his h,uo-
L.r,i.s onI .,a,,. woodland ,,,in,;,s
.,,l ,r,, ,.. ,,.,.... ,.....,,.;,,.,,
.rr..,;,,, :, ,b.. NM. -. c,,,
nn. ,,n,r,in.r h., ! a.,,.,o,,.b.d IN
.nrt ronnd = hair starved tortoise
shell cat croI,.a.d within leaning dis
tame. nf tb.. L,i,..u fol, sorrv fn,.
ia. ont L,t ,,. h,, :, ,,J.r.,,,,
,t, h ,,,,., , ,,, ,,i,.,, ~;
r,, or ,,,,. ar .,.o Co., ,n,
-, ,.,..,
Tn. h,r,o,, .t..lr ,,,,. aimee, di,..ot-
Il ,,ov nv,,, r,,. ,u, 81, ,b,.. r,..t md
th,n vju,l. ,L,,,, or,,nr,1 c,on.. ,n1
,,ntc rnr s.,,.,,l r.. ,,,,. ,,t,,, 4;
th, ,-.,in ,,,,,..I 1o... I'm, f,o,,, ,hi
~, ..v,r,l cb,.....,. t,,,n,.. ,vb;,.b ava
used hv nv I'M. rr;a,d ,s .,o,or.,,,,
H.. now snnnIs ,,oe, of hi. tim.
,,,,vin,. intn ,l.r, e,,,b f,.1c y. ,,i,,
keen that h. n,c,- mar g, b,,nor>- in mo
winter