COMMON DORMOUSE. 285 



one of the spring brood about six weeks afterwards ; and 

 those born in autumn died early in the winter, without 

 having ever attempted hibernation, and although they 

 had continued to feed, they died extremely thin. The 

 name avellanarius is due to the supposition that the prin- 

 cipal food of the Dormouse consists of the hazel-nut, the 

 shell of which they readily gnaw with their small but 



strong incisors. 



The Dormouse appears to have been found in most 

 parts of Europe, though it is in some countries less 

 common than the larger species. In the south of France, 

 according to M. Crespon, it is not so often met with as 

 Myoxus glis or M. nitela. It occurs in Switzerland, and 

 is accordingly included in the Fauna Helvetica of Prof. 

 Schinz, and is mentioned as an inhabitant of Scandinavia 

 by M. Nilsson, but we do not find any record of it either 

 in " Zoologica Russo-Asiatica," of Pallas, or in the re- 

 cently published work of Dr. L. Von Schrenck, on the 

 Mammals of the region of the Amoor river. 



The head of the Dormouse is rather large for the size 

 of the animal ; the eyes black, large, and prominent ; the 

 forehead raised ; the muzzle rather pointed ; the ears 

 rather more than one- third the length of the head ; the 

 body rounded and full ; the tail flattened, nearly linear, 

 furnished with rather long hairs, which stand out on each 

 side ; the fore feet with four toes and the rudiment of a 

 thumb, the hinder with five toes. 



Dimensions : 



Inch. Lines. 



Length of the head and body . . . , 3 

 of the head. 1 ' . . ' . - . . 11 

 of the ears . - . . . . . 4 

 of the tail . . . v ; .26 



of the fore foot 05 



of the hind foot . 7 



