MAR 
Mitherto we have only defcribed affections in 
this animal which in enjoys in common with many: 
but fhall now particularize one which diftinguifhes 
it from ail others of tliis kind, and indeed from 
every other quadruped except the bat and the 
dormoufc; namely, that of (leeping during the 
winter. The Marmotte, though a native of the 
higheft mountains, and where the fnow is never 
wholly diffolved, neverthelefs feems to feel the 
influence of the cold more than any other animal, 
and has all it's faculties as it were chilled up in 
the brumal feafon. This extraordinary fufpenfion 
of life and motion, for more than half the year, 
deferves our admiration ; and excites our attention 
to confider the manner of fuch a temporary death, 
and the fubfequent revival. 
The Marmotte, ufually about the end of Sep- 
tember or beginning of Oftober, fets itfelf to pre- 
pare it's habitation for the winter, from which it 
is never feen to iffue till about the beginning or 
middle of April. This animal's little retreat, 
which is formed with great precaution, and fitted 
up with abundant art, is a hole on the fide of a 
mountain, extremely deep, with a fpacious apart- 
ment at the bottom, fomewhat longer than broad ; 
in which feveral Marmottes can refide at the fame 
time, without injuring each other, or tainting 
the air they breathe. The feet and claws of this 
animal feem formed for digging; and, in facft, 
it burrows into the ground with amazing facility, 
fcraping up the earth like a rabbit, and throwing 
back what it has thus loofened behind it. But 
the form of it's hole is ftill more wonderful: it 
refembles the letter Y; the two branches being 
two openings, which conduCl into one channel, 
terminating in the general apartment, that lies at 
the bottom. As the hole is made on the decli- 
vity of a mountain, there is no part of it level but 
the apartment at the end. One of the branches 
or openings ifilies our, floping downwards; and 
this ferves as a kind of fink or drain to the whole 
family, where they depofit their excrements, and 
where the moifture of the place is drawn away. 
On the contrary, the other branch flopes upwards; 
and this ferves as the means of ingrefs and egrefs. 
The apartment at the end is very warmly lined 
with mofs and hay, of both which ample provifion 
is laid in during the fummer. This being a work 
of great labour, it is undertaken in concert: fome 
cut the finefl grafs, others gather it, and others 
take their turns in dragging it into the hole. On 
this occafion, we are told, one of them lies on it's 
back, permits the hay to be heaped on it's belly, 
and keeps it's paws upright, in order to allow 
greater room; and in this manner, lying ftill on 
it's back, it is dragged by the tail, hay and all, to 
the common retreat. Some affign this as a reafon 
why the hair is generally worn away on their 
backs, as is ufually the cafe: however, a better 
reafon may be affigned, viz. from their continually 
rooting up holes, and pafTing through narrow 
openings. Be this as it may, certain it is that 
they all live together, and work in common, to 
render their habitation as convenient as pofTible : 
in it they pafs about three -quarters of their lives; 
into it they retire on the approach of a ftorm; in 
it they continue while it rains; there they remain 
while apprehcnfive of danger; never ftir out, ex- 
cept in fine v/eather; nor ever venture far from 
home, even in the moil agreeable feafons. When- 
ever they go abroad, one of them is placed as a 
centinel, fitting on a lofty rock ; while the reft 
Vol.11. 
amufe themfelves in playing along the green 
fields, or are employed in cutting grafs, and mak- 
ing hay for their winter's convenience. When- 
ever any enemy, as a man, a dog, or a bird of 
prey, approaches, the trufty centinel apprizes it's 
companions by a kind of whiftle; on which they 
all make homeward, the centinel himfelf bringing 
up the rear. 
But it muft not be fuppofed that this hay is de- 
figned for the food of thele animals: on the con- 
trary, it is always found in as great plenty in their 
holes at the end as at the beginning of winter; 
and is only fought for the convenience of their 
lodging, and the advantages of their young. As 
to provifion, they feem kindly apprized by nature 
that, during the winter, they fliall not want any; 
fo that they make no preparations for food, though 
fo diligently employed in fitting up their abode. 
As foon as they percei-s'e the firft approaches of ' 
winter, during which their vital motions are to 
continue fuf pended, they labour very diligently to 
clofe up the two entrances of their habitation i 
which they effedl with fuch folidity, that it is eafier 
to remove the earth any where elfe. At that time 
they are very fat, and fome of them weigh above ' 
twenty pounds: they continue fo for even three 
months more; but by degrees their flefli begins 
to wafte, and they are ufually very lean at the ex- 
piration of that feafon. 
When their retreat is laid open, the whole fa- 
mily is then difcovered, each rolled into a ball, 
and covered under the hay. In this ftate they 
feem fo entirely lifelefs, that they may be taken 
up, and even killed, without evidencing any great 
fenfation of pain; and thofe who find them in this 
fituation, generally carry them home, in order to 
breed up the young, and eat the old ones. A 
gradual and gentle warmth will revive them : but, 
if too haftily expofed to the heat of the fire, it 
never fails to prove mortal. 
Properly fpeaking, fays BufFon, thefe animals 
cannot be faid to fleep during the winter; it may 
rather be called a torpor or ftagnation of all their 
faculties : this torpor is produced by the congela- 
tion of their blood, which is naturally much cold- 
er than that of other quadrupeds. The uilial heat 
of men, and other animals, is about thirty de- 
grees above congelation; but the heat of thefe is 
not above ten degrees. Indeed, their internal heat 
is feldom greater than that of the temperature of 
the air, which has frequently been tried, by plung- 
ing the ball of the thermometer into the body of 
a living dormoufe, when it never rofe beyond it's 
ufual pitch in air, and fometimes funk above a 
degree. It is not furprizing, therefore, that thefe 
animals, whofe blood is naturally fo cold, fliouid 
become torpid when the external air is too power- 
ful for the finall quantity of heat in their bodies 
yet remaining; and this always happens when the 
thermometer is not more than ten degrees above 
congelation. This coldnefs Buffon has experienced 
in the blood of the bat, the hedge-hog, and the 
dormoufe; and with great propriety he extends 
the analogy to the Marmotte, which, like them, 
lies torpid during the winter. This torpid ftare 
continues as long as the action which produces it; 
and it is very probable that it might be prolonged 
by artificial means: if, for inftance, the animal 
were rolled up in wool, and placed in a cold cel - 
lar, it would remain perhaps a whole year in it's 
ftate of infenfibility. Hovv'ever, when the heat of 
the air exceeds ten degrees, thefe creatures are ob- 
Y icived 
