s 
NATURAL 
» At break of day the old marmots 
come out of their holes and feed; 
afterwards they bring out their 
young ones ; the latter fcamper on 
_all fides, chafe each other, fit on 
their hind feet, and remain in that 
_ potture, facing towards the fun, with 
an air expreflive of fatisfaction. 
They are all particularly fond of 
warmth, and when they think them- 
felves fecure, will bafk in the fun 
for feveral hours. Before they col- 
lect the grafs, either for their food, 
or for their winter habitations, they 
form themfelves into a circle, fitting 
on their hind legs, and reconnoitre 
on all fides. On the leatt alarm, 
the firft gives inftantly a fhrill cry, 
which is communicated from one to 
the other, and they efcape without 
repeating the noife. The chaffeurs, 
by imitating thefe fucceflive whift- 
lings, approach fo near as to come 
within fhot of them. 
The marmot has a quick eye, and 
difcovers the enemy at a confidera- 
ble diftance. He never does the 
leaft injury to any other animal, 
and flies when he is purfued. In 
fact, when apprehenfive of being. 
followed, whole families quit their 
dwellings, and wander from moun- 
tain to mountain, although they 
muft again conftruct their habita- 
tions: but when flight is impoffible, 
they defend themfelves with fpirit 
againft men and dogs, and attack 
all who approach them with their 
teeth and claws. ¥ 
They always live together in fo- 
cieties. They have both fummer 
and winter dwellings, which are 
eafily diftinguithed from each other. 
’ The former remain open during the 
whole year; whereas the latter are 
-clofed at the end of September. In 
the fummer dwellings is found dung 
in great abundance, but no hay: on 
oL. XXXII. 
HI€¢TEOR Y. a 
the contrary, the winter habitations — 
never contain any dung, but much 
hay. ' Near the latter is perceived 
“a more confiderable quantity of 
earth, which annually increafes, -ac- 
cording to the fize of the dwelling, 
and the augmentation of the fa- 
mily. 
In the formation of their dwel- 
lings they {coop out the earth with 
great dexterity and expedition: a 
{mall part they throw away, and by 
eating the remainder clole, render 
the paflage very compact and. folid. 
The opening being fcarcely more’ 
‘than fix or feven inches in diaineter, 
is juft large enough to admit the 
animal. The interior is from eight 
to twenty feet in length; it confifts 
of a paflage, which, at about five 
or fix feet from the entrance, di- 
vides into two branches: the one 
leading to a {mall cavity; the other 
to the chamber in which they re- 
pofe. The paflage, and the two 
branches, are always cerried in a 
ftraight line, unleis the intervention 
of arock, or any other impediments, 
obliges them to take another direc- 
tion. The chamber is round or 
oval, arched at top, and in its form 
refembles the fhape of an oven. It 
is from three to feven fect in dia- 
meter, being larger or {maller ac- 
cording to-the number of the fa- 
mily. It is ftrewed with hay, in 
which the marmots-lie in a dormant 
ftate during the whole winter. 
On retiring to this dwelling about 
the beginning of October, they care- 
fully clofe the entrance fo as to ex- 
clude all air, with a cement of earth 
mixed with ftones and hay. On 
opening this chamber three weeks 
after it is clofed, the marmots are 
difcovered lying on the hay clofe to 
each other, and rolled up like hodge- 
hogs, without the leaft appearance 
G 
