1278 THE RODENTS 



most striking feature of the animal is, however, the large size and prominence of 

 the full black eyes, which stand out in marked prominence to the tawny hue of the 

 coat. In the adult the fur of the upper parts is of a light reddish tawny color, 

 while below it is paler and yellower; the throat and upper part of the chest being 

 marked by a white patch. In the young the color is, however, at first of mouse 

 gray, the reddish tinge of the adult appearing first on the head and flanks, and 

 thence spreading over the body. The length of the head and body is three inches, 

 and that of the tail about half an inch less. 



The common dormouse appears to be confined to Europe, ranging 

 Distribution Sweden and Britain in the north to Northern Italy in the south, 



and extending eastward as far as the north of Turkey, Galicia, Hungary, and Tran- 

 sylvania. Although generally more common in the southern than in the northern 

 districts of its habitat, it is reported to be less abundant in the south of France than 

 either of the other two species inhabiting Europe. 



In its arboreal mode of life, and the manner in which it holds its 

 food between its fore-paws when eating, as well as in the nature of its- 

 food, there is much to remind us in the common dormouse (and likewise its allies) 

 of the squirrel. Whereas, however, squirrels are mainly diurnal, dormice are ex- 

 clusively nocturnal, remaining curled up during the day in their nests, or in some 

 hole, asleep, and only issuing forth in search of food with the falling shades of 

 evening. The dormouse is usually to be found in dense thickets and coppices, or in 

 hedgerows, making its nest generally among the underwood, although sometimes 

 beneath a protecting tussock of grass in the open field. The winter nest is a glob- 

 ular structure composed of twigs, leaves, moss, and grass, and is built in the 

 autumn, and stored with a small supply of food for winter use. Occasionally small 

 colonies of either the breeding or the winter nests may be placed in the same 

 thicket, Yarrell having observed as many as ten or twelve together. After feasting 

 on the abundant nuts and mast of autumn, the dormouse accumulates a large 

 amount of fat, and with the approach of winter retires to its nest for the period of 

 hibernation. A warm day in winter serves, however, to arouse the little creature 

 from its slumbers, when it will consume some of its store of food. The chief food 

 of the dormouse consists of hazelnuts, acorns, beech mast, corn, and haws, and 

 other wild berries. It is reported to extract the kernels from hazelnuts without 

 removing them from their stems; and in climbing from branch to branch in search 

 of food it exhibits marvelous agility. Bell observes that ' ' both fore and hind feet 

 are well padded internally with fleshy, broadish tubercles, thus converting them 

 into hands, in the use of which the creature, when creeping about in a bush of 

 whitethorn, as we have seen it, exhibits an adroitness which is quite unequaled by 

 the little agile harvest mouse, and scarcely surpassed by the squirrel." 



The duration of the winter sleep is generally from five to six months, dormice 

 generally retiring about the middle of October, and not resuming activity before 

 the end of March or April, by which time they have completely lost all traces of the 

 fat accumulated in autumn. The young do not generally commence their hiberna- 

 tion so early in the autumn as the adults. In England the young of this species are 

 generally born in the spring, although there is evidence that in some cases they may 



