BAIKAL HARE. 229 



Hence It is extremely probable that this anitnal 

 is only a variety in the fpecles of the raljbit. 

 Rubruquis, when treating of the animals in Tar- 

 tary, fays, ' There are rabbits with a long tail, 



* and black and white hairs at the point 



* There are no ftags, few hares, a vaft number 

 ' of gazelles,' &c. This pafTage feems to infi- 

 nuate, that our fhort-tailed rabbit is not found 

 in Tartary *, or rather, that it has undergone 

 fome variations in that climate, and particularly 

 in the length of the tail ; for, as the tolai refem- 

 bles the rabbit in every other refpeft, it is un- 

 neceifary to confider them as belonging to dif- 

 ferent fpecies. 



IV. 



The ZISEL t, or EARLESS MARMOT. 



SOME authors, and among others Linnaeus, 



have 



* Relation des voyages en Tartarit, par R"ubruquis, p. 25. 



f Marmot without external ears, having only a Imall ori- 

 fice on each fide of the head for the admittance of founds. 

 It has a blunt nofe, a long flender body, and a very fhnri tail. 

 The colour is dark gray, or cinereous brown ; Pennant's Synopf, 

 af quad, p, 276. 



Mus Noricus; Gefricr, quad. p. 737. Rail fynopf. quad. p. 220, 



Ziefel ; 



