AN'l.MAI.S. 



THE MAKMOUT.* 



.Til 



Fkom the description of the squirrel and its varieties, we pi o • 

 ceed to a different tribe of animals, no way indeed resembling the 

 squirrel, but still something like the rabbit and the luire. We are 

 to keep these two animals still in view as the centre of our com- 

 parison ; as olijects to which many other may bear some simili- 

 tude, though they but little approach each other. Among the 

 hare kind is the Alarmout, which naturalists have placed eitlier 

 among the hare kind or the rat kind, as it suited their respective 

 systems. In fact, it bears no great resemblance to either ; but of 

 the two it approaches nearer the hare, as well in the make ot its 

 head as in its size, in its bushy tail, and panicuhuly in its chew- 

 ing the cud, which alone is sufficient to determine our clioice in 

 giving it its present situation. How it ever came to be degraded 

 into the rat or mouse I cannot conceive, for it no way resen.i.'les 

 them in size, being nearly as big as a bare ; or in its disposition, 

 since no animal is more tractable, nor more easily taaied. 



The marmout is, as was said, almost as big as a hare, but it 

 is more corpulent than a cat, and has shorter legs. Its hea.i 

 pretty nearly resembles that of a hare, except that its ears are 

 much shorter. It is clothed all over with very long hair, and a 

 shorter fur below. These are of different colours, black and 

 gray. The length of the hair gives the body the appearance of 

 greater corpulence than it really has, and at the same time short- 

 ens the feet, so that its belly seems touching the ground. Its 

 tail is tufted and well furnished with hair, and it is carried in a 

 straight direction with its body. It has five claws behind, and 

 only four before. These it uses as the squirrel does, to carry 

 its food to its mouth ; and it usually sits upon its hinder parts to 

 feed, in the manner of that little animal. 



The mai-mout is chiefly a native of the Alps ; and when taken 

 young is tamed more easily than any other wild animal, and al- 

 most as perfectly as any of those that are domestic. It is readily 

 taught to dance, to wield a cudgel, and to obey the voice of its 



* Tliere are fleven species of this aninuil, the most curious of wliicli is 

 the Lapland marmout or lemiiig, for «luch see aii account in a succeeding 

 page under the liead leming. 



1 Buffon, from whence tlie remaiuJer of tliis description Is tal>;eiu N'. B. 

 He takfc it from Gesner, vol xrii. 



