11 Geo. 5 Provincial Museum Eeport. R 17 



In North America marmots are found distributed over a greater part of Canada and the 

 United States, having a number of vernacular names by which they are commonly known in 

 their geographic distribution. 



In Eastern Canada, especially in the Province of Quebec, they are known by the name 

 " siflieur " ; in Ontario we hear of the woodchuck or ground-hog ; the yellow-footed marmots 

 of Southern British Columbia are known as woodchucks or rcckchucks, while the hoary marmots 

 of the mountains, the largest of our species, comparing favourably in size with the Alpine species 

 of the Old World, are commonly called whistlers. 



The name " sitfleur,'' probably taking precedent, was applied to the woodchuck of Eastern 

 Canada by Baron La Hontan in 1703. 



In 1743 Catesby described the Eastern woodchuck under the name of " The Monax," while 

 three years later Edwards published a more extended account under the title of " The Monax 

 or Marmotte of America," his description furnishing the basis of the first technical name applied 

 to the species — Mus monax Linnaeus. 



For the next few years the name given to the genus underwent several changes until 

 Blumenbach in 1779 named the genus Marmota; however, this was upset the following year 

 by Schreber, who introduced the name Arctomys; while of later date than Blumenbach*s, 

 nevertheless received general acceptance and continued in common use for the marmots until 

 the early years of the present century, when the name Marmota was restored as the proper 

 appellation of the genus. (Trouessart, E. L. Cat. Mainin. Suppl. 1904, page 343.) 



The American marmots are naturally divided into three very distinct groups, as follows : — ■ 



Monax group : All the Eastern woodchucks, the Canada woodchuck, the British Columbia 

 woodchuck, and the Ochraceous woodchuck of Alaska and Northern British Columbia. 



Flaviventris group : All the yellow-footed marmots. 



Caligata group: The hoary marmot of the mountains, including the species caligata, 

 olympus, and vancouverensis. 



Marmots, although chiefly diurnal, are sometimes nocturnal in their habits, feeding mainly 

 on grass, succulent plants, and seeds ; the Eastern species often doing considerable damage to 

 cultivated forage-crops both by eating and trampling underfoot, and occasionally much havoc 

 is made by their visits to kitchen-gardens. These marmots, originally living in the woods, 

 prefer open clearings, where they are usually found in pairs or families, having their burrows 

 under rock-piles, stone walls, stumps, roots of trees, and often in open meadows. 



The yellow-footed marmots prefer rocky hillsides, in the crevices of cliffs, or under rock-piles 

 in meadows, and are often abundant in the higher part of mountains, where they dwell more 

 or less in colonies, their food being similar to that of the Eastern species, but probably including 

 a greater proportion of uative plants. These marmots also, when living at lower altitudes in 

 close proximity to settlement, are exceedingly destructive to cultivated crops. 



More gregarious in their habits, like all the Old World species, hoary marmots in the 

 southern part of their range are always found about rock-slides around timber-line, but in 

 Northern British Columbia and Alaska they are frequently found at low altitudes, often making 

 their burrows in open meadows or grassy hillsides ; while little is known of their feeding habits, 

 it is generally conceded they feed like the other species. 



They are extremely partial to fine weather, feeding during the summer months both early 

 and late, and are extremely fond of sunning themselves on their mounds or projecting rocks 

 where they feel safe from attack, spending a large part of their time during wet, dull, and 

 stormy weather in their burrows. As fall approaches they become less active, often only 

 appearing for a few hours during the hottest part of the day. 



When alarmed they rush at once to the entrance of their burrows and sit up on their 

 hind-quarters to survey the scene and detect the danger. Should the enemy approach too close 

 a loud shrill whistle is uttered and they disappear into their burrows, reappearing after a time 

 to see if all danger is passed. The whistling of the hoary marmot, being more pronounced, can 

 be heard for a considerable distance; it is from this habit the name " whistler" has been applied 

 and the name " sifileur " to the woodchuck of Eastern Canada. 



Marmots usually produce from four to six at a birth, the young of the Eastern and yellow- 

 footed species appearing about the latter part of May, while the hoary marmots probably breed 

 somewhat later. Little information on this point is at hand. Swarth states " that in Southern 

 Alaska young individuals of M. c. caligata were seen running about in the middle of June, but. 

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