in captivity in lower bengal. 119 



Length of life in captivity. 

 Over three years, 



(134) THE QUEBEC MAEMOT. 



(AECTOMYS MONAX— (Linn.) ) 



Hab. — Extends as far northward as the Hudson's Bay, and west- 

 ward from the Atlantic coast to Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. 



Length of life in captivity. 



From November 1880 to June 1884. 



Treatment in health. 



With regard to housing and feeding, the marmots should be gen- 

 erally treated like the squirrels, a cool and well-ventilated cage being 

 the principal requisite. It is a burrowing animal and appreciates a mound 

 of dry clayey earth, which may be given in a tray about 18 inches square 

 and about 9 inches or a foot deep. ' During the hot weather a bath should 

 be provided, but as it has never been observed to readily take to water, 

 a cold douche may be applied by a garden syringe. 



Observations on the habits of Marmots. 

 Marmots are retiring in disposition, remaining during the greater 

 part of the day inside a box or buried in earth or straw. Specimens 

 exhibited in this garden regularly lost their fur during summer, and 

 assumed a new coat at the approach of winter. 



(135) THE PEAIEIE MAEMOT. 

 (CYNOMIS LUDOVICIANUS— (Ord.)) 



Description. — It resembles the marmot, but is somewhat smaller ; 

 colour of the upper surface of the body reddish brown, with a few grey 

 and black hairs scattered here and there ; the under surface of the body 

 brownish white ; tail short and somewhat flattened. 



jgr a b t — North America ; the prairies east of the Eocky Mountains. 



Length of life in captivity. 



Living since April 1884. 



Treatment in health. 



Mousing.— Ordinarily these animals may also be housed like the 

 Himalayan and the Quebec marmots, but they would prefer being kept 

 loose on a small island, where they can dig and burrow as they like. 

 A number of them were once placed on a large island overgrown with 

 trees and shrubs, but they all disappeared within a short time : whether 

 they were devoured by the crocodiles which then infested the tank, or 

 drowned in their attempts to swim over to the mainland was never 

 ascertained. 



