MAMMALIA. 



GLIRES. 



Marmot, 



249 



This genus is very properly feparated from that of Mus by Dr Gmelin, in imitation of Mr Pen- 

 nant. Moft, if not all, of the (pedes hybernate, or grow torpid, during winter : They go about in 

 queft of food, and carry on their other neceflary avocations, during the day time, feeding on roots 

 and grain ; they are capable of climbing, and dig burrows in the earth for their habitations : Their 

 heads are generally round and convex, having either very fliort ears or none; their bodies are thick, 

 with fliort hairy tails ; the fore feet have each four toes and a very fhort thumb, or fifth inner toe, 

 and the hind feet have each five toes. The caecum, or blind gut, is generally very large. 



5 22 .!. Common Marmot. — 1. Arftomys Marmora. 1. 



Has fhort round ears ; the upper parts of the body are dufky brown, and the lower 

 parts reduifll. Schreber, iv. 722. t. ccvii. 



Mus Marmota, with a round convex head, having fliort external ears, a fliort hairy tail, and four 

 toes on each fore foot ; the upper parts of the body dufky brown, and the lower parts reddifli. 

 Palla=, Glir. 74. n. i. — Having a fliort hairy tail, fomewhat hairy ears, and f welling cheeks. Syft. 

 'nat. ed. xii. 8t. h. 7. — Mus alpinus, or Alpine Moufe. Gefn. quad. 743. f. p. 744. Aldrov. dig. 

 445. Raj. quad. 221. Jonft. quad. t. 67. Agric. Subt. 484. Plinii, viii. c. 37 — Mus montanus, or 

 Mountain Moufe. Mathiol. comm. 368. — Glis alpinus, f. Marmota alpina, of a mixed dufky brown 

 ■and yellowifli. BrifT. quad. 165. n. 6. — Glis Marmota, of a brownifh afli colour on the upper 

 parts of the body, and yellowifli afli below. Erxleb. mam. 358. n. r. Klein, quad. 56. Hift. mur. 

 ■ alp. 230. — Marmotte. Sm. Buff. iv. 339. pi. xcvii. — Alpine Marmot. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 258. 



Inhabits the higheft fummits of the Alps and Pyrenean mountains, in dry places where there are 

 rio trees. — Feeds on infefts, roots, and vegetables, particularly on tender plants of the order of graffes; 

 but, when tamed, eats almoft of every thing, and is very fond of milk, which it laps, making a mur- 

 muring noife"; it drinks very little. The Alpine Marmots live together in focieties of five, nine, 

 twelve, or fourteen, are fond of balking in the fun, and place a centinel, which gives a whiftle on per- 

 ceiving the approach of danger, when they inftantly retire into their holes, or, if they cannot e- 

 fcape, they defend themfelves boldly, and bite with great fury. They form burrows provided with 

 numerous paflages and entrances; in the end of September they retire into their fubterraneous cham- 

 bers, which are well lined with roofs and dry grafs, and, flopping up the entrance with earth, they 

 remain in a torpid ftate of hybernation till the month of March : If dug up while in this ftate, and 

 brought into a warm atmofp here, -they revive gradually. They are able to walk on their hind feet, 

 fit up often on their haunches, and carry food to their mouths with their fore feet. They are eafily 

 caught when on plain ground, but with difficulty in their holes, as they dig deeper when in danger 

 of being taken, except in winter, when torpid, at which time they are caught in great numbers, part- 

 ly on account of their flefli, which is tender and delicate, partly for their fkins, and partly for their 

 fat, which is efteemed medicinal by the inhabitants of the Alps; but they are chiefly taken'by the Sa- 

 voyards for the purpofe of being expofed as fliows through various parts of Europe. In a tame ftate) 

 they are very deftru&ive to all kinds of provifions, clothes, linens, or furniture ; and can hardly be 

 prevented, even in warm chambers, from falling into the torpid ftate in the winter time. They pro- 

 Greate in April or May, and the female, after fix or feven "weeks, produces two, three, or four young 

 ones. 



Vol. I. I i The 



