916 MONOGRAPHS OF NORTH AMERICAN RODENTIA. 
Yet Pennant, in 1771, in his Synopsis of Quadrupeds (as also in all of his 
subsequent accounts of that animal), referred both of these to his ‘Maryland 
Marmot”, as he did also the “‘ Monax” of Edwards, the ‘‘ Glis marmotta, ame- 
ricanus,” of Klein, the “‘Glis (marmota americana)” of Brisson, and the Mus 
monax of Linneeus, without apparently having any personal acquaintance with 
either of them. Although his first reference is to the ‘‘ Bahama Coney”, his 
description relates mainly to the Maryland Marmot, but in his account of its 
distribution and habits he includes the ‘‘ Bahama Coney”. Erxleben, in 1777, 
followed Pennant in referring Catesby’s Baliama Coney, and all the subse- 
quent names of Klein, Brisson, and others based thereon, to his Glis monaa, 
as well as the ‘ Monax” of Catesby and Edwards, supposing, as did Pennant, 
that all were referable to the same animal. Erxleben was followed by Gme- 
lin and nearly all systematic writers down to Audubon and Bachman, who 
appear to have been the first to call attention to the total distinctness of 
Catesby’s two species. Thus the confusion created by Pennant in 1771 con- 
tinued for fully three-fourths of a century. As late as 1822, Sabine attri- 
buted to Erxleben the “credit” of uniting the references of his predecessors, 
based on Pennant’s Monax and Bahama Coney, and of thus correcting their 
errer of regarding them as distinct, while in reality he only greatly empha- 
sized the confusion that originated six years earlier with Pennant, by lending 
it the authority of his name. As shown in the references given at the head 
of the present article, Schreber is almost the only one among the early gen- 
eral systematic writers who escaped the error of uniting Catesby’s Monax 
aud Bahama Coney. 
The only prominent synonym of the Arctomys monaz is empetra, a name 
originating with Pallas, and based by him on a specimen of Spermophilus 
“narryi”,* but in his references he cites the Quebec Marmot of both Pennant 
a Rabbit. They feed wholly on wild Fruit and other Vegetables: When surpriz’d by Hunters they 
retreat to Holes in Rocks. Their Flesh is esteemed very good, it has more the Taste of a Pig than that 
of a Rabbit. I take it to be nearly of the Kind of the Mus Alpinus, or Marmot. Raii Syn. Quad. p. 221.”— 
(CatTEsBy, Nat. Hist. of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, vol. ii, 1743, p. 79, pl. xxix.) 
“MarMOTA AMERICANA. 
“The Monax. , 
“This Animal is about the Bigness of a wild Rabbet; and of a brown Colour, the Head also 
resembles most that of a Rabbet, except that the Ears are short, like those of a Squirrel; the Feet are 
like those of a Rat, the Tail is like that of a Squirrel, but much less hairy. It feeds on Bread, Fruit and 
other Vegetable Diet. At certain Times they retire to their subterraneous Lodgings, and sleep continually 
a Month or longer together: They are Inhabitants of Maryland, Pennsylvania §c. Their Flesh is esteemed 
good Meat.”—(CatrsBy, Nat. Hist. of Carolina, Florida, and the Bahama Islands, App. p. XXViii.) 
*See further the discussion of the synonymy of Spermophilus empetra (= S. parryi auct.), anted, p. B42. 
