1^4 VARIEGATED MARMOT. 



variegation of yellowish-brown and white, the 

 former constituting the ground colour, and the 

 latter the variegations, which are sometimes in 

 the form of spots, and sometimes of transverse 

 undulations : the legs and under parts of the body 

 are of a yellowish white : the tail is short, but 

 well covered with hair, and is brown above and 

 ferruginous beneath : there is scarce any appear- 

 ance of external ears^ but merely an edging to 

 the auditory canal. The length of the animal is 

 about a foot, and of the tail four inches and a 

 half ; but this species varies as much in size as 

 in colours, and we are assured by Dr. Pallas, that 

 some of the varieties are scarce larger than a 

 water rat^ while others are nearly equal in size to 

 the Alpine Marmot. 



The Variegated Marmot inhabits Bohemia, 

 Austria, Hungary, and from the banks of the 

 Volga to India and Persia ; through Siberia and 

 Great Tartary, to Kamtschatka; some of the in- 

 tervening isles, and ev en the continent of Ame- 

 rica. It is sometimes found in w^oods, but seems 

 principally to delight in dry hilly places, where 

 the herbage is of short growth. They form sub- 

 terraneous burrows, in which they deposit heaps 

 of grain, roots, nuts, &c. for their winter food ; 

 for it does not appear that they sleep during that 

 period, like some others of this genus : at least we 

 are assured by Dr. Pallas, that those which occa- 

 sionally inhabit granaries are seen in motion dur- 

 ing the winter season. They breed in the spring, 

 and produce from five to eight at a time. They 



