Note 50 — PETER KALM’s TRAVELS. (continued 4)

There is a small species of squirrels abounding in the woods, which the English call ground Squirrels. Catesby has described and drawn them from life, in the 2d. Vol. of his Natural History of Carolina, p. 75, tab. 75, and Edwards in his Natural History of Birds, t. 181.50 He and Dr. Linnæus call it Sciurus striatus, or the streaked Squirrel. These do not properly live in trees, as others of this genus, but dig holes in the ground (much in the same manner as rabbets) in which they live, and whither they take refuge when they perceive any danger. Their holes go deep, and commonly further inwards divide into many branches. They are also cunning enough to make sometimes an opening or hole to the surface of the ground from one of these branches. The advantage they have from hence, is that when they stroll about for food, and the hole is stopt up through which they went out, they may not expose themselves to be caught, but presently find the other hole, into which they may retreat: but in autumn, when the leaves fall from the trees, or sometime after, it is diversion to see the consternation they are sometimes in when pursued; for their holes being easily covered with the great fall of leaves, or by the wind, they have a great deal to do, to find them on a sudden: they then run backwards and forwards, as if they had lost their way: they seem to know the places where they have made their subterraneous walks, but cannot conceive where the entrances are. If they be then pursued, and one claps his hands, they know no other refuge than that of climbing upon a tree; for it is to be observed that these squirrels always live under ground, and never climb upon trees unless pursued, and unable in the hurry to find their holes. This kind of squirrels is much more numerous in Pensylvania, than in any other province of North America through which I have travelled. Its length is commonly six inches, without the curved tail; and it is very narrow. The skin is ferruginous, or of a reddish brown, and marked with five black streaks, one of which runs along the back, and two on each side. Their food consists of all sorts of corn, as rye, barley, wheat, maize, and of acorns, nuts, &c. They gather their winter provisions in autumn, like the common grey squirrels, and keep them in their holes under ground. If they get into a granary, they do as much mischief as mice and rats. It has often been observed that if, after eating rye, they come to some wheat, they throw up the former, which they do not like so well as the wheat, in order to fill their belly with the latter. When the maize is reaped in the fields, they are very busy in biting off the ears, and filling the pouches in their mouth with corn, so that their cheeks are quite blown up. With this booty they hasten into the holes which they have made in the ground.