124 VARIEGATED MARMOT. 



variegation of yellowish-brown and white, the 

 former constituting the ground colour, and the 

 latter the variegations, which are sometimes in 

 the form of spots, and sometimes of transverse 

 undulations : the legs and under parts of the body 

 are of a yellowish white : the tail is short, but 

 well covered with hair, and is brown above and 

 ferruginous beneath : there is scarce any appear- 

 ance of external ears, but merely an edging to 

 the auditory canal. The length of the animal is 

 about a foot, and of the tail four inches and a 

 half; but this species varies as much in size as 

 in colours, and we are assured by Dr. Pallas, that 

 some of the varieties are scarce larger than a 

 water rat, while others are nearly equal in size to 

 the Alpine Marmot. 



The Variegated Marmot inhabits Bohemia, 

 Austria, Hungary, and from the banks of the 

 Volga to India and Persia ; through Siberia and 

 Great Tartary, to Kamtschatka; some of the in- 

 tervening isles, and even the continent of Ame- 

 rica. It is sometimes found in woods, but seems 

 principally to delight in dry hilly places, where 

 the herbage is of short growth. They form sub- 

 terraneous burrows, in which they deposit heaps 

 of grain, roots, nuts, &c. for their winter food ; 

 for it does not appear that they sleep during that 

 period, like some others of this genus : at least we 

 are assured by Dr. Pallas, that those which occa- 

 sionally inhabit granaries are seen in motion dur- 

 ing the winter season. They, breed in the spring, 

 and produce from five to eight at a time. They 





