of Animals to secure Warmth. 511 



societate augeatur *.' The value of this author's testimony, 

 however, may be estimated by his adding, that when wrens 

 are put upon a spit to roast, it turns of its own accord ; a fact 

 which he professes to have himself witnessed, in company 

 with the celebrated Kircher, at Rome, they being commanded 

 to try the experiment by a certain eminent cardinal, who fur- 

 nished the bird, and a hazel rod for a spit. At first they 

 despaired of success ; but just as Kircher, who had lost all 

 patience, was going away, the spit (mirabile dictu /) began to 

 turn slowlyj* ! ! Those who keep wrens in cages, usually furnish 

 them with a box, lined and covered with cloth, having a hole 

 for entrance, where they may roost warmly during the night J. 

 Yet even in keen frost the wren does not seem, in the day- 

 time, to care much for cold, since I have, in such cases, 

 frequently heard it singing as merrily as if it had been enjoying 

 the sunshine of summer ; contrary to the remark of White, 

 that wrens do not sing in frosty weather . 



It is in a similar way that the cold is braved by the tiny har- 

 vest mouse (Musmessorius, PENNANT), the least of our British 

 quadrupeds, which only weighs about an eighth of an ounce, 

 and measures two inches and a half, exclusive of the tail. 

 This little creature does not appear to become torpid like some 

 of the same order of animals ; but a party of them assemble at 

 the close of autumn, dig a deep burrow to contain their colony, 

 and, collecting a competent stock of provisions for their com- 

 mon use, they crowd together, as we have seen some species of 

 birds do, to economize their animal heat by sharing it in com- 

 mon. We are not sufficiently acquainted with the winter 

 habits of several others of our little quadrupeds such as the 

 water-shrew (Sorex fodiens) to say how they pass the winter, 

 though it is not improbable they adopt some similar method to 

 the one just mentioned, as they are not known to become 

 torpid. The only notice we possess of the water-shrew is 

 one by an ingenious living observer, Mr. Dovaston, of Shrews- 

 bury, who saw one in April burying itself under some leaves, 

 at the bottom of a pool. White records an instance of the 

 water rat (Mus aquaticus y MERRET), as having a winter cell 



* Phys. Curiosae, p. 1249. Syme, Brit. Song Birds, p. 159. 



L tjdem,ib. $ Selborne, let. CO. 



