J. D. Figgins has described a fourth, Campion's Marmot, M. f. campion! . 

 The Dusky Marmot is largest and darkest. Marmots are of various shades 

 of brown, with more or less black hairs and with white markings about 

 the face. The total length is two feet, more or less, and the tail is 8 or 9 

 inches long, including the hair. In Colorado, as elsewhere, the vernacular 

 names are Woodchuck and Groundhog. The range in altitude inhabited 

 by these animals is considerable, as I have taken them in the White River 

 country below 7,000 feet, and they reach the summits of the highest 

 mountains, being reported from the top of Long's Peak. 



Marmots make their homes in a variety of situations, sometimes dig- 

 ging their burrows in the earth on the open hillsides, but more often, I 

 think, preferring to live about the slide rock, in which, or under which, 

 they can excavate their homes, and which affords a refuge from their 

 enemies. Here they lie on top of rocks which command a good view of 

 the surrounding country, and sleep in the sun, uttering a sharp whistle of 

 alarm when anyone comes in sight. The food is grass and presumably 

 other plants. No stores are laid up for the winter, for that season is spent 

 in hibernation, which begins usually in October. At that time the animals 

 are very fat. The young, four to eight in number, are born in late spring 

 or early summer, and may be seen out of the holes the last of June or early 

 in July. 



PRAIRIE DOGS. 



Prairie Dogs are such familiar animals to most Coloradoans that it 

 seems somewhat absurd to try to describe them in a publication of this 

 sort. We are all acquainted with these chunky little animals, which sit 

 on the mounds by the holes, ready to pop out of sight at the least indica- 

 tion of danger. However, it may be of interest to know that there are 



No. 17. Adult Plains Prairie "Dos, Cynomys liidovicianus; in winter 

 pelage. Photograph by Clark Blickensderfer. 



2G 



