THE TRUE MARMOTS 1259 



aud Poland, across the steppes of Southern Russia, and so on to Amurland, Kam- 

 chatka, and Siberia; the climate of these regions being sufficiently cold to admit of 

 the existence of marmots at low elevations. In Lapland and Scandinavia, marmots 

 are quite unknown; but the southern limits of the bobac do not yet appear to be 

 ascertained. 



Central Asia and the higher ranges of the inner Himalayas are inhabited by 

 numerous species of marmots, but the genus is quite unknown to the southward of 

 the latter range. Of these Asiatic species, one of the best known is the short-tailed 

 Himalayan marmot {A. himalayanus} , which is nearly allied to the bobac, but of 

 somewhat larger size. Its range extends from the mountains of Yarkand and other 

 parts of Turkestan to Ladak and Eastern Tibet, where it is usually found at eleva- 

 tions of from twelve thousand to thirteen thousand feet. The largest and hand- 

 somest of the whole Old- World group, is, however, the long-tailed red marmot (A. 

 caudatus] , in which the length of the head and body is about twenty-four inches, 

 and that of the tail fully half as much. This marmot is readily recognized, not 

 only by its large size and the great length of the tail, but also by the deep rufous 

 tinge of the fur, and the large amount of black in the region of the back. This 

 fine marmot may be met with on the mountain ranges to the north of the valley of 

 Kashmir, and thence to Gilgit in one direction, and parts of Ladakh in the other, 

 while it is also said to extend far into Central Asia. Other kindred but smaller 

 species are the Cabul marmot (A. dichrous] from Northern Afghanistan, and the 

 golden marmot (A. aureus) from the mountains to the west of Yarkand. 



The districts inhabited by all the marmots of the Old World are desolate and 

 barren, being in most cases scorched with fierce heat in summer, while in winter 

 they are subject to intense cold. In the Himalayas these animals are not met with 

 until the traveler has crossed the wooded outer ranges, and entered the bleak 

 Tibetan districts. The barren nature of the Siberian steppes is too well known to 

 need more than passing mention. The occurrence of fossil remains of the Alpine 

 marmot in many parts of Europe, such as Germany, the south of France, Italy as 

 far south as Mentone, and Belgium, naturally leads to the conclusion that Western 

 Europe had at one time a more or less steppe-like climate. As milder and more 

 genial climatic conditions supervened, the Alpine marmot gradually retreated to the 

 nearest mountain ranges, and we thus have a complete explanation of its present 

 isolated distributional areas. 



The habits of all the marmots of the Old World appear to be very 

 similar; all the species of these animals living in large companies, and 

 excavating burrows in which they pass the whole of the winter buried in profound 

 slumber. Indeed, marmots seem to be the most thoroughly hibernating of Mam- 

 mals, since their sleep is apparently unbroken, and they lay up no store of winter 

 food. All the species are diurnal in their habits, and their food is purely of a vege- 

 table nature, consisting mainly of roots, leaves, and seeds of various plants. In the 

 Himalayas, the burrows are very generally constructed beneath the shelter of a plant 

 of wild rhubarb; and the tenants on a fine day take up their station on the mound 

 at the entrance, or journey for a short distance in search of food. At the least 

 alarm they rush at once to the entrance of their burrow, when they sit up on their 



