366 ZOOLOGY. 
attention, to what profit we know not. For my part I am prepared 
to believe in any amount of animal capacity ; not a tithe of what 
is already known can be safely communicated to this generation 
which we hope to show ere long. Neither ‘‘ the whistling of the 
Woodchuck in its burrow,” by which we understand is meant the 
surprise or alarm chuckle, nor the loud challenge or pseudo-bark 
of the Marmot of the Sierra Nevada Mts. etc., are at all alluded 
to in the following remarks. 
When a lad we caught a very young Marmot. Mother prv- 
dently forecasting care, etc., stoutly refused to allow the pet. 
Knowing the warm side of a mother’s heart, we wisely resolved to 
try a little finesse in order to gain parental permission, so my older 
brother and myself took a saucer of milk, for we were sure, if she 
saw it take hold with both infant paws like a little babe as we had, 
the victory was ours. Brother got all things ready, and I insisted 
she should just see it eat. Her kind heart yielded. ‘* Wouldn’t have 
it die for the world ; it took hold of the edge with both hands so like 
a little child.” It was raised. It had a seat in the little high chair 
at the children’s table full oft. Its earnest and restless conci- 
piscent purr as it scented sweet cake and fragrant viands was 
wonderful. At length it became as familiar as the family cat and 
finally burrowed under the doorstep. My impression is noW, a 
has always. been, that it was a female. I used to watch the p“ 
very closely to see how it sang, as children are apt to do: There 
was a slight moving of the nostrils and lips and consequently 
whiskers with an air of unmistakable happy or serene enjoyment. 
I question much if this is altogether unknown to others, a 
excepting naturalists.— A. KeLLoce, M.D., San Francisco. 
Tur POSITION OF THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY IN IxsecrsM 
Felix Plateau has contributed an important memoir on this subject 
to the “ Bibliothèque Universelle Archives des Sciences Physiques 
et Naturelles,” of which the following is an abstract of the b 
important conclusions arrived at. (1.) The centre of eee 
an insect is situated in the vertical and medial plane whieh se? 
along the longitudinal axis of the body. (2.) It occupies # a 
tion almost identical in insects of the same species, the same bd 
and in the same attitude. (3.) The exterior form of thè pe 
rarely permits the determination of the exact position occupy 
< A 2 not 
centre of gravity without experiment. (4.) It does 
