Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-05-05
This and That
By Charles E. TrdceUeU.
"CHEVERLY. Md.

CHEVERLY, Md.
Dear Sir:
I'm your delightful column recently
appeared letter from correspondent
D. c., who was contemplating making
friends with the chipmunks
please tell him he is really in for a
good time.
Can you tell us what their life span
Is?
For tour successive years pair made
their home in our garden, and many an
hour we idled away with these interest
Ing little creatures
I'VE called them Chippie and Munkie.
Their habits and personalities were SO
distinct it was easy to identify them.
In those days We never went into
the garden without pocketful of pea
nuts, some bread or fruit, and we NAH
aged to get a few snapshots of them
perched on our shoulders and taking
nuts from our hands.
After the first year. when we had
completely won their confidence. they
gave up trying to conceal their hide
outs and caches.
They made one neat hole in the
middle of a narrow path leading to the
bridge crossing the lily pool, and they
let us watch them carry into it mouth
fuls of leaves for nest or food for their
babies
"One day, while I was sitting on a
bank few feet above this hole, with
neighbours dog by my side, Munkie
stuck her head out
Il slipped my fingers around the
dogs collar, to hold him tight, and also
held my breath.
ITO my surprise the chipmunk not
only came all the way out but brought
with her three tiny babies, which she
lined up for my inspection.
For about two minutes they blinked
in the sunshine. then Mamma Chip
munk chased them back into their home.
I'm September another family was
presented to us.
while raising her family, Mamma
Chipmunk was eager for bread, which
we sometimes smeared with JAM She
would sit on her launches, lick off the
sweets, stuff the remaining crust into
her mouth, fold her paws over her
creamy white tummy, as though max
ing bow, then skip away to her
family
II don't want to bore you with stories
of the chipmunk antics, some of which
you might not believe, but thought you
might like to know that our small
friends climb trees and chase one an
other up and down them just as squirrels
do.
When the family has been raised
and the little ones are ready to be
turned out into the world, they hold a
sort of May day.
Then they play game in which the
whole family joins and one behind the
other, five or six, they run around the
yard within few feet of us.
"Once Munkie and Chippie while hav-
ing tussle on bough over our heads,
fell to the ground with a soft thud, a
drop of about 20 feet One of them
jumped up quickly, and eyed us ro-
guishly, as much as to say Didn't hurt
Bit but seeing his companion still
lying in a huddle, bent over it solicit
ously until it had recovered, then they
both scampered away.
Because of the cat menace, we have
had to deny ourselves the pleasure of
feline companionship.
Now we have cocker spaniel, who
chases away the cats and then makes a
tour of inspection of their homes to see
that they are all safe within.
Sometimes he will sit for hours at
time and watch the chipmunks summing
themselves on the rocks around the pool.
While can't say they love him like
brother, believe they have some respect
for him and appreciate his protection
Sincerely yours, B. l.. c."
Barring accidents, chipmunks will live
about five or six years. Perhaps a few
live to be eight or even 10 years old. AS
rule they do not live as long as squir-
res. 1t Is sort of rule in the animal
kingdom that the smaller a creature is
the sooner it dies. Thus when we get
up to such great creatures as elephants
and whales, we find them living for
many years. In the kingdom Of the birds
this rule does. not always hold, as note
the parrot, which despite its small size
will live in captivity for-80 to 100 years.
Ordinarily, the fast living creatures,
such as birds wear themselves out
quickly and the smaller they. are the
sooner they pass away.