hbours in the same
"settlement." The burrows of the "leopard" have much smaller entrances
than those of their "tawny kin," and run down perpendicularly to a
greater depth before branching off in a horizontal direction. A straight
stick may be thrust down one of these full five feet before reaching an
"elbow."

The holes of the tawny marmots, on the contrary, branch off near the
surface, and are not so deep under ground. This guides us to the
explanation of a singular fact--which is, that the "tawnies" make their
appearance three weeks earlier in spring than the "leopards," in
consequence of the heat of the sun reaching them sooner, and waking them
out of their torpid sleep.

While these explanations were passing among the boys, the marmots had
come out, to the number of a score, and were carrying on their gambols
along the declivity of the hill. They were at too great a distance to
heed the movements of the travellers by the camp fire. Besides, a
considerable valley lay between them and the camp, which, as they
believed, rendered their position secure. They were not at such a
distance but that many of their movements could be clearly made out by
the boys, who after a while noticed that several furious battles were
being fought among them. It was not the "tawnies" against the others,
but the males of each kind in single combats with one another.

They fought like little cats, exhibiting the highest degree of boldness
and fury; but it was noticed that in these conflicts the leopards were
far more active and spiteful than their kinsmen. In observing them
through his glass Lucien noticed that they frequently seized each other
by the tails, and he further noticed that several of them had their
tails much shorter than the rest. Norman said that these had been bitten
off in their battles; and, moreover, that it was a rare thing to find
among the males, or "bucks," as he called them, one that had a perfect
tail!

While these observations were being made, the attention of our party was
attracted to a strange animal that was seen slowly crawling around the
hill. It was a creature about as big as an ordinary setter dog, but much
thicker in the body, shorter in the legs, and shaggier in the coat. Its
head was flat, and its ears short and rounded. Its hair was long, rough,
and of a mottled hoary grey colour, but dark-brown upon the legs and
tail. The latter, though covered with long hair, was short, and carried
upright; and upo