Francois.

This question was of course addressed to Lucien.

"Yes," answered he. "The _fauna_ of North America is peculiarly rich in
species of these singular animals. There are thirteen kinds of them,
well known to naturalists; and there are even some varieties in these
thirteen kinds that might almost be considered distinct species. I have
no doubt, moreover, there are yet other species which have not been
described. Perhaps, altogether, there are not less than twenty different
kinds of marmots in North America. As only one or two species are found
in the settled territories of the United States, it was supposed, until
lately, that there were no others. Latterly the naturalists of North
America have been very active in their researches, and no genus of
animals has rewarded them so well as the marmots--unless, perhaps, it
may be the squirrels. Almost every year a new species of one or the
other of these has been found--mostly inhabiting the vast wilderness
territories that lie between the Mississippi and the Pacific Ocean.

"These little animals seem to form a link between the squirrels and
rabbits. On the side of the squirrels they very naturally join on, if I
may use the expression, to the ground-squirrel, and some of them, differ
but little in their habits from many of the latter. Other species,
again, are more allied to the rabbits, and less like the squirrels; and
there are two or three kinds that I should say--using a Yankee
expression--have a 'sprinkling' of the rat in them. Some, as the
ground-hog, or wood-chuck of the United States, are as large as rabbits,
while others, as the leopard-marmot, are not bigger than Norway rats.

"Some species have cheek-pouches, in which they can carry a large
quantity of seeds, nuts, and roots, when they wish to hoard them up for
future use. These are the spermophiles, and some species of these have
more capacious pouches than others. Their food differs somewhat,
perhaps according to the circumstances in which they may be placed. In
all cases it is vegetable. Some, as the prairie-dogs, live upon grasses,
while others subsist chiefly upon seeds, berries, and leaves.

"It was long supposed that the marmots, like the squirrels, laid up
stores against the winter. I believe this is not the case with any of
the different species. I know for certain that most of them pass the
winter in a state of torpidity, and of course require no provisions, as
they eat nothing during that sea