The Marmot. 97 
The American Dormouse, or Ground Squirrel, is a 
very beautiful animal, striped down the back, and re- 
sembling the squirrel in its habits, except that instead of 
living in trees it burrows in the ground. 
THE MAKMOT, OR ALPINE RAT. 
(Arctomys Marmotta.) 
This is a harmless, inoffensive animal, and seems to 
bear enmity to no creature but the dog. He is caught 
in Savoy, and carried about in several countries for the 
amusement of the mob. When taken }< oung, he is easily 
tamed, and possesses great muscular power and agility. 
He will often walk on his hinder legs, and uses his fore 
paws to feed himself, like the squirrel. The Marmot 
makes his hole very deep, and in the form of the letter 
Y, one of the branches serving as an avenue to the 
innermost apartment, and the other sloping downwards, 
as a kind of sink or drain; in this safe retreat he sleeps 
throughout the winter, and if discovered may be killed 
without appearing to undergo any great pain. These 
animals produce but once a year, and bring forth three 
or four at a time. They grow very fast, and the extent 
of their lives is not above nine or ten years. They are 
about the size of a rabbit, but much more corpulent. 
When a number of Marmots are feeding together, one of 
them stands sentinel upon an elevated position ; and on 
the first appearance of a man, a dog, an eagle, or any 
dangerous animal, utters a loud and shrill cry, as a sig- 
nal for immediate retreat. The Marmot inhabits the 
highest regions of £he Alps ; other species are found in 
Poland, Russia, Siberia, and Canada. 
