Miners, Diggers, and Carpenters. 



First one or two of the bolder and probably elder mem- 

 bers of the colony cautiously come forth, sniffing the 

 air suspiciously, and, ascending their respective watch- 

 towers, sit up on their haunches and sniff and gaze 

 about in all directions. Satisfied that the danger is 

 passed, they utter a series of reassuring yelps which 

 quickly brings the rest of the population above ground. 

 And then a very pretty and social scene is witnessed, 

 as the sleek, jolly little animals run about, visit each 

 other, or gather into apparently gossiping groups. But 

 the Prairie Marmots are not the only inhabitants of the 

 colony, for the Burrowing Owl sometimes also called 

 the Coquimbo Owl and the deadly Rattlesnake take 

 forcible possession of their burrows, having first de- 

 vcured the rightful inhabitants. When the Burrowing 

 Owl and the Rattlesnake were first observed to frequent 

 the burrows of the Prairie Marmot, it was hastily sur- 

 mised that all lived together as a " happy family," but 

 closer and more accurate observation has shown that 

 this is not the case. 



The European cousin of the Prairie Marmot, the 

 Alpine Marmot, is also inclined to social habits, and 

 is an expert miner, sinking shafts three or four feet 

 deep, and excavating long galleries which ultimately 

 lead into a large, basin-shaped dwelling chamber. Ac- 

 cording to one authority on Alpine life, the Marmot 

 frequently has a summer as well as a winter residence, 

 selecting for its summer abode some sunny, grassy oasis 

 surrounded by rocks and chasms, high up amongst 

 the mountains, often at ten thousand feet above the 

 sea level. In such pleasant retreats, comparatively safe 

 from the sudden approach of dangerous neighbours, 



(i,9io) j M 



