MEXICAN MARMOT SQUIRREL. 
41 
it takes any kind of vegetable food. Even in the hottest summer weather 
this animal is fond of making a nest of tow and bits of carpet, and will 
sleep covered up by these warm materials as comfortably as if the tempe- 
rature was at freezing point outside instead of 85°. 
For some time we have had a fine living animal of this species in a cage, 
and he has been a source of great amusement to the little folks, who are 
fond of feeding him and pleased to see his antics. When threatened he 
shows fight, and approaches the bars of his cage gritting or chattering 
with his teeth like a little fury, and sometim ;s uttering a sharp squeak of 
defiance ; but when offered any good thing t o eat he at once resumes his 
usual playful manner, and will take it from the hand of any one. In 
eating corn this little animal picks out the soft part and leaves the shell 
and more compact portion of the grain untouched. 
At times he will coil himself up, lying on one side, almost entirely 
concealed by the tow and shredded carpet ; if then disturbed, he looks up 
out of one eye without changing his position, and will sometimes almost 
bear to be poked with a stick before moving. Like the human race he 
occasionally shows symptoms of laziness or fatigue, by yawning and 
stretching. When first placed in his cage he manifested some desire to 
get out, and attempted to gnaw the wires : he would now and then turn 
himself upside down, and with his fore paws holding on to the wires above 
his head bite vigorously at the horizontal wires for half a minute a,t a time, 
before changing this apparently uncomfortable position. This Spermophile 
is not in the habit of eating a very great deal at a time, but seems to prefer 
feeding at intervals, even when plenty of food lies within his reach, retiring 
to his snug nest and sleeping for a while after eating a sufficient portion. 
When thus sleeping we sometimes found him lying on his back, with his 
fore paws almost joined, held close by his nose, while his hind legs were 
slightly turned to one side so as to give his body the appearance of 
complete relaxation. 
These animals are said to be tolerably abundant in Mexico and Cali- 
fornia, but only in the wooded districts. We were informed that they 
could easily be procured near Yera Cruz, Tuspan, Tampico, &c. 
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 
Lichtenstein informs us that Mr. Deppe procured this animal in 1826, 
in the neighbourhood of Toluca in Mexico, where it was called by the 
inhabitants by the general term Urion, which was also applied to other 
burrowing animals. Captain Beechy states that his specimen was 
procured in California, and we are informed by Captain J. P. McCown 
VOL. in.— 6 
