122 SQUIRRELS AND OTHER FUR-BEARERS 



from hibernator to line his own nest. But the 

 jumping mouse went in with him, enlarged the 

 nest, and cuddled down to him. They were 

 great friends. But the baby smelled dreadfully, 

 as all house-mice do, and I took him out. Then 

 the hibernator curled up again and went into 

 winter quarters. 



" When the warm weather came on, she un- 

 curled and ate and drank. She preferred pecan 

 nuts and shredded-wheat biscuit, and ate corn. 

 I tried to tame her. I took a strong feather 

 and played with her. At first she resisted and 

 was frightened, but after a while she * stood it,' 

 and would even eat and clean herself while I 

 scratched her with this feather. But she was 

 always terribly frightened, when coming out of 

 her day's sleep, if I began to play with her. 

 After being thoroughly waked up, she did not 

 mind it. She would let me smooth her with my 

 finger, and she would smell of my finger and go 

 on eating, keeping an eye out. Three times she 

 had a perfect fit of fright, lying on her back, 

 and kicking and trembling violently. On these 

 occasions she made a scuttling noise or cry, and 

 I thought each time she would die, so I grew 

 more and more cautious about meddling with 

 her. There was one interesting thing about it, 

 — she rose from these fits and ate heartily, and 



