236 DORMOUSE. 



although common in many parts of England, has 

 not hitherto been satisfactorily proved to exist in 

 Scotland, although it has been reported to me to 

 occur near Gifford in East Lothian. In the third 

 volume of the Naturalist, at p. 104, Mr Salmon 

 gives the following account of an individual which 

 he happened to capture on the 1 6th December 1 837 : 

 " As I was pushing my way amidst the briers and 

 brambles, I chanced to stumble upon an interesting 

 incident in the shape of a little ball of grass curiously 

 interwoven, lying on the ground. It was about 

 eight inches in circumference, and on taking it up 

 I soon ascertained, by the faint sound emitted from 

 the interior, on my handling it, that it contained a 

 prisoner. I bore my prize homeward for examina- 

 tion, and on making a slight opening, immediately 

 issued forth one of those beautiful little creature| 

 the Dormouse. The heat of my hand and the 

 warmth of the room had completely revived it from 

 its torpor; it appeared to enjoy its transition by 

 nimbly scaling every part of the furniture in all 

 directions. It experienced no difficulty in either 

 ascending or descending the polished backs of the 

 chairs, and when I attempted to secure it, it leaped 

 from chair to chair with astonishing agility for so 

 small a creature. On taking it into my hand, it 

 showed not the least disposition to resent the liberty ; 

 on the contrary, it was very docile. On being set 

 at liberty it sprang at least two yards on to a table. 

 I was much gratified on witnessing its agile move- 

 ments. In the evening I placed my little stranger 



