M A R M O T. 
under ground ; firit form an entrance, burrowing 
down obliquely: at the end of that paffage the male 
finks one perpendicular hole ; the female feveraf: 
at the end of thefe are formed various vaults, either 
as lodges for themfelves and young, or ftore-houfes 
for their winter food ; each young has its different 
apartment; each fort of grain its different vault; 
the firft they line with ftraw or grafs : thefe vaults 
are of different depths, according to the age of the 
animal; a young Hamfter makes them fcarce a foot 
deep; an old one finks them to the depth of four 
or five ; and the whole diameter of the habitation, 
with all its communications, is fometimes eight or 
ten feet. 
They begin to lay in their provifions in Auguft ; 
and will carry grains of corn, corn in the ear, and 
peas and beans in the pods, which they clean in their 
holes, and carry the hulks carefully out: the pouches 
above-mentioned are fo capacious as to hold a quar¬ 
ter of a pint Englijh. As foon as they have finiffied 
jheir work, they flop up the mouth of their paffage 
carefully. In winter, the peafants go what they call 
a Hamfter-nefting ; and when they difcover the re- 
/etreat, dig down till they difcover the hoard, and 
are commonly well paid; for, befides the lkin of 
the animals, which are valuable furs, they find com¬ 
monly two buffiels of good grain in the magazine. 
Thefe animals are very fierce ; will jump at a horfe 
that happens to tread near them, and hang by its 
nofe fo that it is difficult to difengage them : they 
make a noife like the barking of a dog : breed twice 
pr thrice a year, and bring five or fix at a time : in 
fome 
