The Chip Squirrel or Ground Squirrel is the most common and familiar of all the squirrels. “He is most commonly,” says Godman, “seen scudding along the lower rails of the common or ‘Virginia’ fences, which afford him at once a pleasant and secure path, as, in a few turns, he finds a safe hiding place behind the projecting angles, or enters his burrow undiscovered. When no fence is near, or his retreat is cut off, after having been out in search of food, he becomes exceedingly alarmed, and runs up the nearest tree, uttering a very shrill cry or whistle, indicative of his distress; and it is in this situation that he is most frequently made captive by his persecuting enemies, the mischievous school-boys.” I shall presently mention a much better mode of treatment of them by children, than the one here alluded to, and which is far too common. He is not only the most numerous, but the most beautiful of all the squirrels I have named. His general color (if it is necessary to describe an animal so well known) is a reddish brown, but he has five black stripes running lengthwise along his body, one in the middle of the back, and two on each side, and between the two on each side is a stripe of pure white. These stripes, together with white stripes on each side of his head, above and below the eyes, give him a very beautiful appearance, and it is no wonder that children, who are commonly pleased with what is beautiful in nature, take a strong liking to him. He is sometimes called the Striped Squirrel, on account of his markings, but he is more commonly called the Chip Squirrel, or Chipmuck, from the chipping sound he is accustomed to make, or the Ground Squirrel, because he makes a burrow in the ground for his lodging-place instead of residing in a tree, as the other squirrels do. Mr. Godman says he is sometimes called Hacky; but why so called, I am unable to tell. I have mentioned his being a familiar animal; I will now state a circumstance, to show how familiar he may be made, and how far kind and gentle treatment operates to deprive wild animals of their fears. One, which had a hole not far from my house, used frequently to come about the house for food, which my children observing, would throw walnuts or hickory nuts to him. He soon became so gentle he would take the walnuts from their hands, and, after biting off the sharp and jagged ends of the nuts, he would stow them in his capacious cheeks or pouches, sometimes taking from their hands and stowing away in this manner four hickory nuts, two in each pouch, which he would carry off and deposit in his hole, and then immediately return for another cheekful.