78 
ALPINE MARMOT. 
or are employed in cutting grass,, and making bay 
for their winter's convenience. Their trusty sen- 
tinel, when an enemy, a man, a dog, or a bird of 
prey approaches, apprizes its companions with a 
whistle, upon which they all make home, the sen- 
tinel himself bringing up the rear. 
But it must not be supposed that this hay is 
designed for provision ; on the contrary, it is al- 
ways found in as great plenty in their holes at the 
end as in the beginning of winter ; it is only sought 
for the convenience of their lodging, and the ad- 
vantages of their young. As to provision, they 
seem kindly apprized by nature, that during the 
winter they shall not want any, so that they make 
no preparations for food, though so diligently em- 
ployed in fitting up their abode. As soon as they 
perceive the first approaches of the winter, during 
which their vital motions are to continue in some 
measure suspended, they labour very? diligently to 
close up the two entrances of their habitation, 
which they effect with such solidity, that it is easier 
to dig up the earth any where else, than where 
they have closed it. At that time they are very 
fat, and some of them are found to weigh above 
twenty pounds ; they continue so for even three 
months more ; but by degrees their flesh begins 
to waste, and they are usually very lean by the 
end of winter. When their retreat is opened, the 
whole family is then discovered, each rolled into 
a ball, and covered up under the hay. In this 
state they seem entirely lifeless ; they may be taken 
away, and even killed without their testifying any 
great pain ; and those who find them in this 
manner, carry them home, in order to breed up the 
young and eat the old ones. A gradual and gentle 
w armth revives them ; but they w ould die if too 
suddenly brought near the fire, or if their juice* 
were too quickly liquefied* 
