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File under "science of yore".

An excerpt on marmota monax:

DESCRIPTION. Body clumsy; low set; snout rather longer than in the Marmot properly so called; ears rounded; nails long and sharp; colour ferruginous-brown, less deep on the flanks and inferior parts of the back, bluish-gray about the snout; tail covered with blackish hairs.

And, further on, under "habit":

feed on herbs and fruits, but delight in clover, of which they destroy immense quantities; the femal produces five or six at birth: when tamed, they become sufficiently docile, and never eat animal food; when intercepted from their holes, they prefer giving battle to a dog rather than attempt to effect their escape by retreating; they are more than a match for a dog a size larger than themselves.

Alas, Dr. Harlan's poor field hound!