42 MAMMALIA RODENTIA DIAGRAM 3. 



fur, which is used for making tobacco-pouches, caps, and a 

 variety of other articles. When the seals are on land, they crawl 

 along on their bellies with difficulty. They have large black 

 eyes and a very gentle appearance. They are easily tamed, and 

 taught to utter various sounds which have a distant resemblance 

 to the human voice. These are exhibited at fairs under the 

 name of talking fish, but they are not fish, and do not speak. 



ORDER RODENTIA. 



SQUIRRELS feed on nuts, acorns, beech-mast, etc. They build 

 nests like those of birds among the branches of trees, large enough 

 to accommodate all their family. These nests are made of moss 

 and twigs, they have an opening at the top, and are protected from 

 the rain by a kind of roof. Squirrels also lay up a store of nuts 

 and acorns in the hollows of trees, for the winter season. They 

 are hunted in some countries for their fur, and it is said that 

 the hunters are skilful enough to kill them with a ball in the 

 head, to avoid spoiling the fur. 



The DORMICE are small rodents which likewise inhabit gardens 

 and orchards, where they eat the fruit, and are consequently 

 also very mischievous animals. They make nests like birds. 



The MARMOT is much larger than the squirrel ; it does not 

 climb trees, and lives in burrows. It is remarkable for sleeping 

 all the winter. There is nothing graceful about this animal, but it 

 is very gentle. They are common in the mountains of Switzer 

 land, where the children catch them, taking them from village to 

 village to show, and sharing with them the food they obtain. 

 When the cold weather comes, the marmot, which has been 

 growing fat during the summer, coils itself up at the bottom 

 of a hole, and sleeps till spring. When it wakes, it is 

 quite thin, and begins to eat and fatten itself again. The mar- 



