CHAP. VII. INJURIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 227 



near the haunts of men, forming near them a subterra- 

 neous hiding place, and concealing himself in its recesses 

 until the approach of night, when he emerges from his 

 retreat, and attacks eggs, poultry, and other live stock, 

 which may be within his reach and control, and gene- 

 rally carries them off in safety.* The Mus Cricetus, 

 or hamster rat, found in Germany, Poland, and Russia, 

 is also extremely destructive to grain, by eating vast 

 quantities itself, and afterwards carrying away still 

 more in its large cheek pouches, t The squirrels of 

 North America commit equal ravages among the plant- 

 ations of maize, hundreds of them attacking a single 

 field at once, climbing up the stalks, feasting upon the 

 sweet corn, and, perhaps, in one night, effecting the 

 spoliation of the whole crop.J The squirrel of our own 

 country, however, cannot be classed among the inju- 

 rious quadrupeds, for few, with any kind or generous 

 feelings, would begrudge to this elegant enlivener of 

 our parks and preserves, a few hazel nuts, upon which 

 alone it subsists. The Sclurus Carolinensis, or Ca- 

 rolina squirrel, which is much larger than ours, makes 

 great devastation among the wheat in some of the states. 

 Their number, indeed, is often so considerable, that 

 the children are sent round the fields to scare them 

 several times a day. At the least noise they run off 

 by dozens, and take refuge in the trees, from which, 

 however, they return to their depredations when their 

 alarm is over, and are again to be scared away. They 

 emigrate at the approach of winter ; and often arrive in 

 Kentucky in such numbers, that the farmers are obliged 

 to unite in hunting and destroying them. 



(239.) The Fiverra Musanga of Dr. Horsfield is 

 called in Java the coffee rat, from its infesting and greatly 

 injuring the coffee plantations ; yet this is a questionable 

 evil, as it appears to compensate for such mischief, by 

 afterwards ejecting, uninjured, the seeds of the berries, 

 and these propagate the plant in other tracts of thv 



* Wood's Zool. p. .193 t Shaw's Zool. vol. i. p. 106 



* Id. ibid. p. 29& \ Michaux's Travels, p. 215. 



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