Texas Nature Observations and Reminiscences Page: 170 of 322

                                
170 TEXAS NATURE OBSERVATIONS AND REMINISCENCES.
The Texas Ground Squirrel; Its Habits
and Its Haunts
[Tp North there exist several    1908, of the "Texas Field   and
of the chipmunk    variety, but     Sportsman" anent the advisibility
one of the most interesting species  of exterminating the ground squirindigenous
to our Texas climate    rel and, as the reports dwell on
is our "ground   squirrel."  The    the actual observations of reliable
Northern species are differently   parties, both notes in the Texas
built, especially as to the striped  Field and Sportsman are reprobody
and the ears. Northern so
    duced for a better understanding
called "chipmunk" are more erect    of the subject, as follows:
and more pointed, whilst in our       "Henry   Howard, a prominent
Texas variety, the ears are more    farmer of Black Creek, near Deflat
and narrow, and they barely    vine, and a successful hunter, says
protrude over the cranium. They     that he, has kept a record of
also are much more slender, with    auail's nests found for the past
TEXAS GROUND SQUIRREL NEAR CACTUS JUNGLE AND PRAIRIE RAT NEST, MITCHELL'S LAKE
rather a thin and long  body, a     four years and the average of the
long oval shaped head, interrupted  eggs destroyed during that time,
with white and dark stripes alon2   was 90 per cent. Last year he
the back, and the tail is not as    found forty two nests and only
bushy as is the chipmunk and by     one of them  was not destroyed
far not as in the common tree
     before the eggs hatched. His recsquirrel.
As to its habits I may    ord covering the four years shows
be allowed to append some data     forty-four to eighty nests found.
as to our ground squirrel being     He is a close observer of game
an  "egg-eater."  U n d e r  the    and reports a bountiful supply
heading: "Kill    the   Ground      of quail this year. He says if
Squirrel," two contributions ap
   the sportsmen would devote more
peared in the September issue,      of their time to protecting the quail