NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Birds are very loyal to each other. I have frequently 

 seen them come to one another's aid in order to 

 beat off a common enemy. 



On several occasions I have observed half-a-dozen 

 to a dozen and more small birds collected together, 

 and in the act of driving a Dormouse from the 

 vicinity of a nest of one of their species. 



The parent birds of the smaller species usually, 

 on discovering an enemy in dangerous proximity 

 to their nest, set up a shrill chattering, which 

 attracts most of the birds of the neighbourhood. 

 These join in with the others and mob the intruder. 



Dormice in South Africa, like their European and 

 Asiatic cousins, hibernate during the winter months. 

 In summer food is plentiful, and the Dormouse 

 waxes fat. On the advent of autumn it lays up a 

 store of nuts, berries and other edibles in its lair, 

 and creeping into the interior of its cosy nest it 

 becomes torpid. The vital functions at this time 

 are considerably lowered, and consequently little 

 food-material is necessary. The animal, lying torpid, 

 wastes no muscle-tissue, therefore the fat which has 

 accumulated during the summer-time is all that is 

 necessary to supply the fuel to maintain sufficient 

 bodily heat to keep life's flame burning. If the 

 day should happen to be warm, the Dormouse wakes 

 and nibbles a little of its store of food. 



At the old Port Elizabeth Museum we kept several 

 Cape Dormice, and, during the summer-time they 

 were exceedingly bright and active towards evening 



72 



