488 
MAMMALIA. 
Naturally mild and sociable, the Marmot is readily tamed, and 
under the influence of good treatment becomes very affectionate 
and familiar; it can be even taught to perform tricks at the 
command of its master, and the young Savoyards turn this 
feature of its character to a profitable account. 
The Marmot lives on anything in captivity — fruit, herbs, 
insects, bread, and flesh ; but milk and butter are its favourite 
diet. 
If the Marmot renders some pleasure during its life to the poor 
people of the Alps by means of the tricks it acquires, it is much 
more useful to them after its death. Its flesh, is excellent, its 
only drawback being a slight odour ; but this may be got rid 
of by judicious seasoning. Its fur is not of much, value com- 
mercially ; but it is none the less appreciated by the hardy 
mountaineers, who are acquainted with rough clothes and 
coarse diet. 
From what has just been stated, it can be understood that the 
Marmot is sought after ; and so we find that there are Marmot 
hunters as there are Chamois hunters. These select for their 
purpose the commencement of winter, when their prey are 
entering into their hybernal state, and are consequently less 
capable of making resistance. Their burrows are easily recog- 
nised, for all the ground around is strewn with moss and hay : 
dig up these retreats, and the whole family are found. In 
summer, this procedure is impracticable — first, because the 
Marmots vigorously defend themselves with tooth and nail 
against any one who dares to violate their domicile ; and secondly, 
because they can dig as rapidly as Man, and as their enemy 
advances, the deeper they bury themselves in the side of the 
mountain. In certain Swiss cantons it is unlawful, and rightly 
so, to dig out Marmots during the winter. It is a wise act 
to protect defenceless animals against the cupidity and the im- 
providence of Man. 
After the Alpine Marmot, we may mention the Quebec Marmot, 
the Maryland Marmot, or Woodchuck, which are peculiar to 
certain parts of North America, and the Bobac or Poland 
Marmot. The Prairie Dog (A. ludovicianus) is an allied species, 
which lives in extensive communities in the wide prairies of 
North America ; their villages, as the hunters term their 
