482 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HAMSTER. 



two sexes live together and in peace only during the few days 

 of each breeding season. z With this single exception the 

 hamster may be said to be constantly at war with every liv- 

 ing creature or moving object which happens to come near 

 him. It will jump with equal fury at a waggon-wheel or at 

 a horse travelling along a road which a hamster is about to 

 cross in the same place, and a young hamster will sometimes 

 do so as well as an old one. Horses have now and then been 

 frightened by the screams and bites of this little animal in the 

 dusk of the evening, so as to run away. From men or dogs 

 the animal will commonly, though not always, try to escape; 

 it then takes the nearest course to its burrow, from which it 

 is seldom at a great distance. When its pouches are full, it 

 always takes to its heels at first, and if its burrow be only at 

 the distance of twenty or thirty yards, it tries to regain it 

 with its cargo, but never fails to pop its head out of the hole, 

 screaming furiously in defiance. If the burrow be farther off, 

 it tries to get a little a-head of its pursuer, in order to have 

 time to empty its pouches ; whereupon it rises upon its hind 

 legs and faces its enemy, blowing (whereby the pouches be- 

 come distended), squeaking, screaming, and jumping against 

 the intruder to the height of from one to two feet. When the 

 enemy retreats a little, the hamster hops after him like a frog. 

 At such times the animal is quite beside itself with fury, car- 

 ing for no wounds, and fighting till death. 2 Old hamsters do 

 not usually retreat before man, when sitting before their bur- 

 rows with their pouches empty ; I have myself killed several 

 under such circumstances. 



Some breeds of dogs, as pointers and large terriers, soon 

 acquire a knack of killing hamsters at one bite, by catching 

 them by the middle of the chest; but when the animals are 

 better matched, the combat is protracted, and the hamster 

 often succeeds in gaining its burrow, after repeatedly beating 

 back the dog. This obstinacy in fighting, in spite of all 

 wounds not absolutely mortal, makes the hamster gain the 

 victory over the rat. A combat between old individuals of 

 the two species, lasts very long, but ends with the death of 

 the rat. In short, as far as my own experience goes, I must 

 believe the hamster to be the most courageous animal. Un- 

 fortunately there is no other commendable feature in his dis- 



1 For further proofs of the ferocious and reckless disposition of the ham- 

 ster, see also below, under the head of Propagation. 



2 The bites of the hamster penetrate to the depth of half an inch, but are 

 not particularly dangerous, even when the animal is furious. 



