NATURAL HISTORY OF THE HAMSTER. 535 



are differently constructed, according to the age, sex and soil. 

 Yet what all the burrows have in common with each other, 

 may be reduced to the following terms. Each burrow has 

 two openings at least, one of which descends obliquely, the 

 other perpendicularly. The former is excavated from with- 

 out, the latter from within, wherefore the whole of the earth 

 which is carried above ground is lying before the former, 

 which is called the creeping hole, whilst the other bears the 

 name of the 'plunging hole, and may often be sounded with 

 a wand, to the depth of 3 or 4 feet. But before it opens into 

 one of the chambers it always bends a considerable way to 

 one side. As the chambers are situated between the creeping 

 and plunging-holes, it is generally found that when a burrow 

 has only two holes, the bend of the plunging-hole is turned 

 towards the creeping-hole. The external openings of the 

 two holes are at the distance of at least 4, sometimes as many 

 as 10, feet from each other. The creeping-hole is not in such 

 constant use as the other, and in an inhabited burrow it is 

 regularly found stopped with earth at about 1 foot from its 

 mouth, for a length of about half a foot. The plunging-hole 

 is never stopped in summer. A hamster-burrow is at once 

 known from either that of the mole or of the Mus amphibius 

 by the heap of earth never being hemispherical, but rather 

 flat and spreading, and by its presenting the sub-soil on its 

 surface. The chambers which approach more or less to the 

 oval shape, are more vaulted in the ceiling than in the floor. 

 Their volume is between that of an ox-bladder and four times 

 that size. The one serving for the habitation (the nest-cham- 

 ber) is commonly small, and furnished with a litter of soft and 

 fine straw. It is the nearest to the creeping-hole. It com- 

 monly presents three openings, one in the continuation of 

 the creeping-hole, one leading to the plunging-hole, and one 

 communicating with the store chambers, of which there are 

 one, two, three, or more. The passage which leads to the 

 creeping-hole becomes wider at a short distance from the 

 nest-chamber, and there the hamster deposits its excrements. 

 The store-chambers contain each from one to twelve pounds 

 of corn or other seeds. Young individuals construct only one, 

 which is not even large ; but the old, especially males, which 

 have much leisure to lay up stores, have sometimes as many 

 as five store-chambers of the largest size, containing up to 

 65flbs. of corn, or 1 cwt. of horse beans together. If large 

 seeds, as horse beans, peas, vetches, &c, be at hand, the 

 store is commonly larger in proportion. The chambers are 

 completely filled with the seeds, which are rammed into them 

 so as to constitute true silos. Sometimes the passages lead- 



