MARMOT 423 



with the agility of its cousin the squirrel, or even the mouse, although it is adapted 

 for a partially subterranean existence. Marmots content themselves with a small 

 area surrounding their holes, driving away their enemies by biting and scratching ; 

 and sleeping during winter. The cleft upper lip is furnished with stout bristles, 

 and discloses the strong, curved, chisel-like teeth, which in old animals are golden 

 yellow, although white in the young. The head has brilliant black staring eyes, 

 with circular pupils, and small round well-covered ears lying flat against the 

 crown. The cheeks are covered with long hair and look puffy, the neck is short 

 and thick, the legs are short and strong, and the close and coarse fur is often much 

 worn by passing into and out of the hole. In colour the body is yellow or reddish 

 grey above, yellowish brown below, rusty brown at the throat, and black or 

 bluish grey on the crown. The black nose and muzzle are edged with white, the 

 whiskers are yellow, and the strong fore-feet covered with dull yellow hair right 

 down to the long black burrowing nails. The tail is 7 inches long, and covered 

 with hair on both sides, two-thirds being reddish brown, with a black tassel at 

 the tip. 



Marmots are exclusively herbivorous; they eat sitting up on the hind- 

 legs, holding the food with the fore-paws, and they very rarely drink. At day- 

 break the old marmots are the first to appear at the mouth of the hole, putting 

 out their heads cautiously and prying about : after listening a few seconds, they 

 venture slowly into the open, and take a few steps upwards, assuming curious 

 attitudes, and finally begin to graze. They nibble the short grass, but are 

 particularly fond of the blossoms of the smaller Alpine plants. After the adults 

 the young soon appear in front of the burrow, and when they have finished their 

 meal the whole family lie down in the sun, always on the same spot, generally on 

 some convenient stone not far from the entrance to their home, the paths leading 

 to which are polished by constant use. They spend their time plajdng and 

 resting. After a sufficient meal they sit up and look around, scratch, comb and 

 clean each other, playing and indulging in various grotesque antics, the young 

 trying to walk on their hind-legs. When one of the adults perceives a bird-of-prey, 

 a fox, or human being, even some way off, it whistles several times through the 

 teeth so loudly that the sound is carried through the air to a great distance, the 

 call being rather deep than high, plaintive and yet shrill and piercing. This 

 whistle, heard many times a day in the Alps, is uttered only by the individual 

 which has seen the enemy; all the rest hurrying noiselessly into their burrows. 

 They bolt in this manner only when danger is near, at other times the animal 

 giving warning remains outside to repeat it from time to time, thus calling the 

 attention of all the marmots far and wide to the approaching danger. Should the 

 enemy be perceived by all at once, their cries are heard in every direction, but if 

 the foe conceal himself behind a rock they are suddenly silent, remaining, however, 

 on the alert, whistling as soon as he reappears, and taking to the burrows at his 

 slightest movement; those marmots which have obeyed the warning but not read}- 

 seen the enemy being the first to reappear. Marmots retire daily to their burrows 

 as soon as the sun goes down, but in autumn generally shortly after noon, or even 

 earlier, remaining in their holes all night, and in bad weather not appearing for 

 days. During summer they live in pairs or families on the green meadows sur- 



