MAMMALIA. GLIRES. Marmot. 251 



Inhabits the dry and funny places of the mountains, from the Boriilhenes, through the temperate 

 dimes of Afia, as far as China and Kamtfchatka. — The Bobak forms very deep burrows, in which lo- 

 cieties of twenty or more live together, each individual having a particular neft at the bottom of the 

 common gallery, which is often three or four yards deep, and from which numerous galleries, or pat- 

 fuges, branch off to the feveral apartments. They go about in fearch of food, in the morning and 

 middle of the day, placing a centinel to give warning of approaching danger. It is a timid animal^ 

 which feeds only on vegetables, preferring olleraceous plants ; it fits up on the hams, and carries its 

 food with the fore paws to its mouth, and defends itfelf in the fame pofture ; may be eafily tamed, 

 even when old, and then eats cabbages or bread, and laps milk, but refufes to drink water. In Cum- 

 mer it feeds voracioufly, but remains torpid all winter, except when kept in very warm places, and 

 even then eats very little, and efcapes, if poffible, that it may get to fome place proper for hybernat- 

 ing, and returns to itsmafter in fpring. The flefh may be eaten, and refembles that of a Hare, though 

 rank ; the fat is ufed for dreffing leather and furs, and the lkins are employed for clothing by the 

 Ruffians. The head and body meafure fixteen inches, the tail is ftraight, and about four and a half 

 inches long, and the whole animal fometimes weighs fourteen pounds. The female has eight teats, 

 and probably brings forth early, as, by the month of June, the young ones are half grown. The ears 

 are fmall, thick, oval, and covered with greyiih white down, having longiih hairs at the edges ; the 

 ■eyes are fmall; the whilkers fliort : About the eyes and nofe the fur is of a dulky brown colour, 

 growing reddifk among the whilkers ; the upper parts of the body are greyiih, intermixed with long 

 dulky or black hairs, which have grey or whitifh tips; the throat is of a rufly colour; the reft of the 

 body and iniide of the limbs are of a yellowifh rufty brown ; the tail is (lender, full of hair, marked 

 with duiky rings, and is tipt with black. 



4. Canadian Marmot. — -4. Arclomys Empetra. 4. 



Of a mixed grey colour on the upper parts of the body, the lower parts orange ; ha- 

 ving fhort rounded ears, and a hairy tail. Schreber, iv. 743. t. ccx. 



Mus Empetra, of a mixed colour On the back and reddifh on the belly ; having a rounded head 

 provided with external ears, a fliort hairy tail, and four toes on each fore foot. Pallas, Glir. 75. 

 n. 4. — Glis canadenfis, of a grey colour, with orange coloured belly and thighs. Erxleb. mam. 

 363. — Quebec Marmot. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 259. pi. xli. f. 2. Arch zool. n. 43. — Canadian 

 Marmot. Forfter, Phil. Tranf. lxii. 378. 



Inhabits Canada, Hudfon's Bay, and the other northern parts of America. — This fpecies is rather 

 larger than a Rabbit, and the tail is about two inches and a half long; the head is round, with a blunt 

 nofe, and fliort rounded ears ; the cheeks are full, and of a grey colour ; the face is dulky, with a 

 black nofe ; the hair on the back is grey at the roots, black in the middle, and whitifh at the tips ; 

 the belly and legs are of an orange colour ; the tail is fliort, fomewhat bufliy, and of a dulky colour; 

 the feet are black and naked, having four long, {lender, divided toes, and the rudiments of a thumb 

 on each fore foot, and five fimilar on each behind, all armed with pretty ftrong claws. This animal 

 was defcribed by Mr Pennant from a living fpecimen in pofTcffion of. Mr Brooks, which was very 

 tame, and made a luffing noifev 



1 1 2 c. 



