Order RODENTIA. RODENTS (exclusive of 

 Hares, Rabbits, and Pikas) 



Placental mammals of very small to medium size; non- 

 volant, terrestrial, semiaquatic, fossorial or arboreal in 

 habit; feet with claws; dentition adapted for cutting and 

 grinding vegetable substances; incisors one in each jaw (two 

 above, two below), prominent, more or less protruding, grow- 

 ing from a persistent pulp; a wide diastema or space (no canine 

 teeth) between incisors and molar teeth which have relatively 

 fiat crowns; lower jaw capable of more or less longitudinal 

 movement; clavicle present but sometimes reduced; form 

 various. 



Family Sciuridae. Squirrels 



Form varying from slender to robust; size small to fairly 

 large; head rounded; tail without scales, short to long, usually 

 flattened, well haired; cheek-teeth at least four on each side; 

 molars rooted, tubercular; ribs twelve to thirteen pairs; 

 clavicles developed; habit terrestrial, fossorial, or arboreal. 



Subfamily Sciurinae 

 Genus Marmota' 



Dentition: Incisors, i; Canines, ^; Premolars, f; Molars, | = 22. 



Woodchuck. — Marmota monax 



and related forms 

 Names.— Woodchuck; Marmot; Ground-hog; "vSiffleur" 

 (French Canadian) . Plate XX . 



General Description.— A large, terrestrial Squirrel with 

 heavy-set body and short tail. Head broad and short; nose 

 blunt; ears low, rounded; eyes small; tail well haired, flattened; 



"■ For a full review of the genus Marmota see A. H. Howell North 

 American Fauna, No. 37, 1915, 



183 



