Rats.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



03 



The field-monse breeds twice in the year, pro- 

 ducing from six to ten young at a time. It is easy 

 therefore, to calculate the rapidity of its multiplica- 

 tion, and to account for the sudden appearance of 

 swarms in spots where few had been previously ob- 

 served. Buffon states that by means of a single 

 trap two thousand three hundred were killed in 

 twenty-three days in a single field of about forty 

 acres in extent. In some parts of our own country 

 their numbers have been incalculable and their de- 

 vastations frightful. 



258, 259. — The Harvest-Mouse 



<iW«s Messorius). Of all our British mammalia the 

 harvest-mouse is the smallest. This beautiful little 

 species was first discovered in our island by Gilbert 

 White, and described in his ' Natural History of 

 Sel borne.' Yet it is by no means uncommon in the 

 corn counties, and especially in Hampshire, though 

 so long overlooked by British naturalists. It is 

 found in Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Devonshire, 

 and Cambridgeshire, and occurs in France, Ger- 

 many, Russia, and Siberia. It is the Mulot nain 

 and Hat de moissons of F. Cuvier; the Mus mi- 

 iiutus of Pallas, and the Mus Pendulinus of Her- 

 mann. 



The harvest-mouse is a lively, active, playful 

 little creature ; its eyes are dark : its general colour 

 above is delicate reddish fawn ; the under parts are 

 abruptly white: the ears are short and rounded; 

 the tail is rather shorter than the body. Length of 

 head and body two inches six lines. 



This animal lives entirely in the fields, resort- 

 ing in the winter to burrows of its own construc- 

 tion, or to corn-ricks, into which it penetrates, and 

 there finds food and shelter. The asylum in which 

 it rears its young is an artful and beautiful nest 

 of a spherical figure, consisting of the split leaves 

 and panicles of grasses artificially interwoven to- 

 gether, and suspended among the stalks of standing 

 corn, or thistles, or other plants, to which it is 

 secured, and of which the leaves will shroud it from 

 notice. 



According to Dr. Gloger, the entrance to the nest 

 is rather below the middle, on the side opoosite to 

 the stems, and is scarcely observable ; the parent 

 closes it when she leaves the nest, and probably 

 while she remains herself within. The inside is 

 warm, smooth, and neatly rounded. One nest ex- 

 amined by Dr. Gloger contained five young, another 

 nine. 



It would appear that the harvest-mouse is insect- 

 ivorous as well as granivorous, and this fact was 

 first noticed by the Rev. W. Bingley, who obtained 

 a female, which after its capture produced eight 

 young, but being disturbed by a conveyance of 

 several miles, she killed them, as the rabbit is fre- 

 • luently known to do. "One evening," he observes, 

 " as I was sitting at my writing-desk, and the ani- 

 mal was playing about in the open part of its cage, 

 a large blue fly happened to buzz against the wires ; 

 the little creature, although at twice or thrice the 

 distance of her own length from it, sprang along the 

 wires with the greatest agility, and would certainly 

 have seized it had the space between the wires 

 been sufiiciently wide to have admitted her teeth or 

 paws to reach it. I was surprised at this occur- 

 rence, as I had been led to believe that the harvest, 

 mouse was merely a granivorous animal. I caught 

 the fly, and made it buzz in my fingers against the 

 wires. The mouse, though usually shy and timid, 

 immediately came out of her hiding-place, and run- 

 ning to the spot seized and devoured it. From 

 this time I fed her with insects whenever I could 

 get them, and she always preferred them to every 

 other kind of food that I off'ered her." The same 

 writer observed that the tip of the tail possessed a 

 prehensile power, and that the animal used it while 

 climbing about the wires of its cage. We have seen 

 the harvest-mouse in captivity tolerably tame, and 

 reconciled to its prison. It' often bits erect, and 

 feeds itself, holding grain between its paws, which 

 it also uses in dressing its soft fur. It drinks by 

 lapping the water with its tongue, and sleeps rolled 

 up into a ball. 



260.— The Hamster 



(Cricelut vulgaris). Fortunately for England, the 

 hamster is not indigenous within the precincts of the 

 island. It inhabits the whole tract of countries ex- 

 tending between the Rhine and the Ural mountains, 

 and between the German Sea and Baltic to the 

 north and the Danube to the south, wherever it 

 finds a congenial soil. It is very common in Thu- 

 ringia. Its proper soil is a deep alluvial mould 

 with a substratum of clay ; in diy, strong-soiled, 

 or stony districts, it is not often found. The 

 teeth of the hamster closely resemble those of the 

 rat. (Fig. 201.) The tail is short and hairy. 

 There are large cheek-pouches, as in some of the 

 monkeys, in the form of sacks, which serve for 

 carrying home food: they extend from the in-^ide 

 of the cheeks beneath the skin, along the sides of 



the neck, even over the shoulders. The general 

 figure is thick : the limbs are short ; there are four 

 toes and a small thumb on the anterior feet ; five 

 toes on the hind feet ; the head is large, the muzzle 

 abruptly pointed, the ears rounded. The general 

 colour is as follows: head and upper parts reddish 

 grey, verging to yellow on the face ; under parts 

 black, with the exception of the throat and feet, 

 which are white. Three large distinct spots of 

 white are also disposed on each side, one on the 

 cheeks, one on the shoulder, and one on the ribs. 

 Black varieties are not unfrequent ; in these the 

 nose and feet are white. There are two oblong 

 spaces on the skin, situated one on each side of the 

 spine, at a short distance in front of the thighs, 

 which, instead of having the usual fur, are covered 

 witli short, brown, stiff hairs. These patches, which 

 are about an inch long, are not always directly per- 

 ceptible, being obscured by the surrounding long 

 fur, which must be blown aside to show them. 

 The adult male measures from nine to twelve inches, 

 exclusive of the tail, which is about three inches 

 Jong. The weight is sometimes more tlian a pound. 

 The female is smaller by one-fourth. 



The hamster is nocturnal in its habits: during 

 the day it lies rolled up in its burrow : at night it 

 issues forth to ramble in quest of food ; after mid- 

 night it returns to its burrow and rests till about an 

 hour before sunrise, when it takes a second ramble 

 till the morning fairly dawns. Its movements are 

 slow and creeping: it often utters short growling 

 tones, but when irritated its voice is a shrill yelling 

 cry. In collecting food, as beans, peas, wheat, &c., 

 it uses its paws to press the grain backwards to the 

 bottom of the pouches, in order to make room for 

 the entrance of more. When these are well filled, 

 it returns to its burrow to unload them, in which 

 act it again uses its paws. In summer it feeds 

 upon green fodder and the leaves of many plants; 

 hut the hamster is also carnivorous, attacking and 

 devouring rats, mice, birds, lizards, insects and their 

 larvEB, and the weaker of their own species. Even 

 the two sexes live in harmony only during the few 

 days of each breeding season. The hamster fights 

 obstinately, and will jump with equal fury at a 

 waggon-wheel or at a horse if he tread near it ; and 

 when two rival males meet, they engage in a despe- 

 rate conflict till one retreats or perishes. In these 

 paroxysms of fury the cheek-pouches become dis- 

 tended with air, the animal at the same time blow- 

 ing and uttering at intervals its shrill cry. 



In the construction of its burrows the hamster 

 displays great ingenuity. They are in some re- 

 spects modified according to age, sex, and soil ; lor 

 each individual has its own exclusive burrow. Each 

 burrow has at least two openings; one descends 

 obliquely, the other perpendicularly. The former 

 is termed the " creeping-hole," and l his is excavated 

 from without, — but the perpendicular passage, 

 termed the " plunging-hole," is worked out from 

 one of the chambers, that is, from within the sub- 

 terranean domicile, and is often four feet deep. 

 The distance of these two holes from each other 

 varies from four to ten feet, and between the ter- 

 mination of these two passages are the chambers. 

 The creeping-hole is not in such constant use as 

 the other, and in an inhabited burrow it is regu- 

 larly found stopped with earth at the distance of 

 about a foot liom the mouth. The chambei's are 

 more or less oval, and of large size ; that nearest 

 the creeping-hole is the smallest, and is well lined 

 with a bed of soft fine straw : it has three openings, 

 one into the creeping-passage, one into the plung- 

 ing-passage, and one communicating with the store- 

 chambers, of which there are several, at least in the 

 burrows of the old male. Each chamber is filled in 

 the autumn with provisions, and sixty-five pounds of 

 corn or a hundredweight of horse-beans have been 

 found in the magazines of a single hamster. The 

 burrow of a female has from three or four to eight 

 plunging-holes, all terminating in her nest-chamber. 

 Here she produces her litter, from six to eighteen in 

 number. The young are born blind and naked, but 

 in eight or nine days their eyes are opened ; they 

 grow rapidly, and in about a fortnight begin to dig 

 small burrows, each making its own. The female 

 has several litters in the course of a year. About 

 the middle of October the hamster retires for good to 

 its retreat, stopping up first the creeping-holes, then 

 the plunging-holes; — after this the animal keeps 

 awake (though underground) for about two months, 

 living on its store and becoming very fat. When 

 the cold of winter has fairly set in and reached it, 

 it sinks into a complete state of torpor, which con- 

 tinues till the middle of February. About the 

 middle of March it begins to open its passage, and 

 re-visits the fields ; it now abandons its old burrow, 

 and begins to form a fresh one. The flesh of the 

 hamster is said to be very good ; the fur is also es- 

 teemed, and the hamster-hunter, who trades in the 

 skins, usually opens the burrows after the corn has 

 been reaped, for the sake of obtaining the grain 

 which the hamster has accumulated. 



2C2.— The Caffre Broad-eared Hat 

 (Eiiryotis unisiilcnhis.) This species of rat ig a 

 native of South Africa, whence it was brought by 

 M. Delalande. It forms the type of the genus 

 Euryotis of Brands, to which title that of Otomys, 

 proposed by F. Cuvier, must give place. Dr. A.' 

 Smith has appropriated the term Otomys to another 

 group of Rodents. In its dentition (Fig. 203) this 

 animal closely approximates to the true rats, as 

 also in general form and structure : the eyes are 

 large ; the ears are ample and broad, and furnished 

 with an internal projecting membrane, which when 

 its edges are approximated entirely shuts the en- 

 trance of the auditory opening. Ihe fur is thick 

 and sort, and the general tone of colouring is a 

 clouded yellow tint, becoming yellowish white on 

 the under parts. Length of head and body about 

 I six and a half inches; of tail, nearly three inches. 

 Of the habits and raannere of this animal we iiavij 

 no definite information. 



204.— The IIydromys 



(Hi/dromi/s leucoyasta- and cimjsoijnatcr). Though 

 we refer the genus Hydromys to the Muiida;, it 

 differs in dentition from the other member, of that 

 family. There are only two molars on each side 

 above and below ; the first above is three times the 

 size of the second, and is composed of three irregular 

 portions, each portion being depressed in its centre, 

 which is surrounded by a ridge of enamel ; the 

 second molar is composed of two unequal parts: 

 the first molar below is twice the size of the second, 

 and both are composed of two parts. (See Fig. 265.) 

 The Hydromys is' an aquatic animal, and well 

 adapted for swimming: the head is flat; the body 

 otter-like, elongated, and covered with close glossy 

 fur: on the lore feet there are four toes and the 

 rudiment of a thumb ; on the hind feet there are 

 five toes united by webs. The tail is long and 

 cylindrical, covered with close stift" hairs; the ears 

 are short and rounded ; the upper surface is brown, 

 the extremity of the tail for about a third of its 

 length white ; the under surface varies from white 

 to a fine deep orange-yellow. Some writers have 

 regarded these varieties as distinct species; — we 

 have seen specimens with the colour of the under 

 surface in intermediate stages between white and 

 yellow. Length of head and body, about twelve 

 inches; that of the tail nearly as much. The Hy- 

 dromys is a native of Van'Diemen's Land, and 

 various small islands in D'Entrecasteanx Channel ; 

 but of its habits we have no detailed accounts. 



The family Arvicolidse. — In this family are com- 

 prehended the Water-rat, the Lemming, and other 

 Rodents, termed Campagnols, Voles, &c., distin- 

 guished from the Muriclie by having rootless molars, 

 by having the angle of the lower jaw raised, and 

 by certain peculiarities in the structure of the cra- 

 nium. 



266. — The Economist Mouse 



In the genus Arvicola the 



(^Arvicola aconomus). 



3—3 

 molars are q — r, composite with flat crowns, pre- 

 senting angular enamelled laminae (Fig. 267). The 

 ■ears are moderate, the muzzle obtuse, the tail 

 shorter than the body, and hairy. The Economist 

 mouse is a native of the northern sweep of Siberia 

 and Kamptschatka. It would appear that the same 

 or a closely allied species inhabits Iceland. It is 

 a burrowing animal, and constructs beneath the 

 turf narrow galleries which lead to a chamber, in 

 the form of an oven, communicating with another 

 used as a magazine, in which it stores up food for 

 winter consumption. This consists of bulbous roots, 

 and various grains and berries ; and the quantity 

 of provision amassed is often very considerable. 

 These animals breed several times in the year, pro- 

 ducing three or four at a birth. Like the lemming, 

 from some unknown cause, these mice, at irregular 

 periods, but always in the spring, perform extensive 

 migrations. Multitudes assemble together, forming 

 an army myriads strong. In Kamptschatka their 

 progress is westward ; neither rivers, nor lakes, nor 

 even arms of the sea stop them : thousands are 

 drowned or destroyed by birds and beasts of prey, — 

 but onwards the army marches, — pursuing their 

 course, until they have crossed the river Penshim, 

 when they bend their way towards Judoma, and 

 Ochot, which they usually reach about July : they 

 return to Kamptschatka in October, but sadly re- 

 duced in numbers by the accidents of flood and 

 field. According to Dr. Henderson, the Economist 

 mouse of Iceland displays great sagacity in con- 

 veying home and stocking its provisions ; and he 

 corroborates the account of MM. Olafsen and 

 Povelson respecting their mode of conveying them 

 across such streams as they may meet with in their 

 foraging expeditions. "The party, which consists 

 of from six to ten, select a fiat piece of dried cow- 

 dung, on which they place the berries in a heap in 

 the middle; then by their united force they bring 

 it to the water's edge, and, after launching it, em- 



