These Rodents differ from the Hares and Rabbits in having ears of
moderate length, and in the nearly equal development of all their limbs.
They are principally inhabitants of Siberia and the north of Europe;
their voice is sharp and piercing, and they are destitute of any tail;
they are all of small size, none of them exceeding the dimensions of a
large Rat.
The Pica is about the size of a Guinea Pig, and covered with
yellowish-red hair. It inhabits the loftiest summits of mountains, and
employs itself, during the summer, in collecting and drying a supply of
herbage for winter use. The heaps of hay thus accumulated are of
extraordinary dimensions, sometimes measuring as much as six or seven
feet in height, and are invaluable to the hunters of Sables, affording
fodder for their Horses at a period when no other provender is
obtainable.
The Calling Hare inhabits the southeastern parts of Russia, and the
slopes of the Ural mountains, and also the western side of the Atlantic
chain. The head is long; the ears large, short, and rounded; there is no
tail. There are twenty molar teeth, five on either side of each jaw. The
body is only six inches in length. The fur is of a greenish-brown color,
hoary underneath.