SQUIRRELS, MARMOTS AND PIKAS. 79 



This rodent, which is somewhat larger than a hare, occurs in China 

 proper only in the extreme west of Kansu, but is plentiful in Eastern 

 Mongolia and the neighbouring portions of Manchuria. In Kansu it 

 is known by the Chinese as "Ta-la," and in Manchuria as "Han ta" 

 (Dry otter), while the Mongol name is Tarrabagan. This is one of 

 the few fur-producing rodents of North China. At the time when 

 the pneumonic plague was raging in Manchuria it was thought that 

 this creature was largely responsible for its origin and spread, but 

 careful investigation has shown this idea to be erroneous. 



The Suslik (Citellus mongolicus). 



Our next genus, Ochotona, consists of small rabbit-like rodents, 

 commonly known as pikas. They resemble the rabbit family in having 

 only four toes on the hind feet, furry soles and an extra pair of very 

 small incisor teeth behind the two large ones in the upper jaw. Tboy 

 differ from the rabbits and hares in havinig extremely small tails, 

 which do not even appear through the skin of the body. They also 

 have smaller, more rounded ears. They are very much smaller than 

 any of the rabbits, the largest not exceeding eight or nine inches in 

 length. 



Like rabbits they burrow a great deal, making extensive warrens. 

 They also have little beaten tracks or runways between the rocks, and 

 ramifying through the underbrush, in which they live. Their food 

 consists of grass and small herbs. In the case of the Siberian pika, 



