114 RODENTIA. 



root, yellowish to the middle, and blackish from thence to 

 near the tip, which is deep black. 



Length of head and body, 1 foot 4 inches; head, 4 

 inches; ears, 7 lines; tail, without the fur, 4 inches 4 

 lines. — F. M. 



Prefers the less elevated to the higher mountain chains ; 

 burrows in a diy soil, choosing a southern exposure ; lives 

 in societies of about twenty ; lays up a quantity of diied 

 grass for its winter store, on which it feeds when not in a 

 torpid state. Utters a whistling note on the approach of 

 danger. 



Inhabits the southern parts of Poland and Russia ; is 

 very plentiful on the Ural Mountains towards the south. 

 In the Ukraine, Pallas says that a variety entirely black 

 is not uncommon. The Bobak is to be met with in the 

 Bukovina, and is found throughout Great Tai-tary and the 

 South of Siberia, seldom north of the 55th degree of lati- 

 tude, and extending, it is said, to Kamtschatka. 



Arctomys Marmotta. 



Arctomys Marmotta, Desm. Manim. Sp. 523. 

 Mu8 Marmotta, Linn. 

 The Marmot. 



Desceiption. — Head flat at top ; muzzle thick and short ; 

 eyes large, black ; ears very short, truncated ; whiskers 

 stiif. Fur on the body, head, and sides grey-black of 

 various shades ; top of the head blackish ; cheeks and ears 

 grey ; hairs on the back stiif and coarse, those on the parts 

 beneath softer, of a grey colour slightly tinged with red- 

 dish; tail fui-nished with long, tufted, black, and red- 

 brown hairs ; claws robust, sharp, and black. 



Length of head and body, 1 foot 3 to 6 inches ; head, 

 3 inches 8 lines. — F. M. 



Inhabits the highest mountain regions among perpetual 



