THE ALPINE MARMOT. 44() 



The colour is brownish above,, and bright tawtiy on 

 the under parts. The head is rather large, and flat- 

 tish ; the ears short, and hid in the fur ; and the tail 

 thick and bushy. 



These singular quadrupeds delight in the regions 

 of frost and of snow, and are seldom to be found 

 but on the tops of the highest mountains. They 

 remain in a torpid state during winter. About the 

 end of September^, or the early part of October^, 

 they retire into their holes, and do not come abroad 

 again till the beginning of April. Their retreats are 

 formed with much art and precaution. They do not 

 make a single hole, nor either a straight or a wind- 

 ing tube ; but a kind of gallery in the form of a Yj 

 each branch of which has an aperture, and both 

 terminate in a capacious apartment, where several 

 of the animals lodge together. As the whole opera- 

 tion is performed on the declivity of a mountain, 

 the innermost aperture alone is horizontal. Both 

 ihe branches are inclined : one of them descends 

 under the apartment, and follows the declivity 

 of the mountain ; this is a kind of aqueduct^ 

 and also receives and carries off all the filth that is 

 produced within : the other, which rises above the 

 principal apartment, is used for coming in and go- 

 ing out at. The place of their abode is well lined 

 v^ith moss and hay, of which they lay up great store 

 during the summer. 



It is afiirmed, that this labour is carried on jointly : 

 that some of the animals cut the finest herbage, 

 which is collected by others ; and that they trans- 

 port it to their dens in the following manner, One> 



Vot. I. G g 



