THE DORMOUSE 59 



seem to be usually appreciated to what an extent 

 the dormouse lives upon insects, though the 

 fact that it has such a long period of hibernation 

 is most suggestive: Roughly speaking the dor- 

 mouse sleeps from October to April, coming to 

 life again as the buds break their sheaths, and 

 numberless small caterpillars and other larvae 

 emerge from the egg. As an illustration of the 

 fondness of the dormouse for insects, I must 

 tell the tale of a captive one that I had. She 

 was kept in a cage next to a box in which was 

 being reared a hundred and fifty larvae of the 

 Privet Hawk moth, Sphinx ligmtn. These cater- 

 pillars were growing rapidly and doing well, and 

 were about an inch and a half in length. One 

 night the dormouse found a weak corner in her 

 cage, made good her escape, and turned her 

 attention to the caterpillars next door. One side 

 of the rearing box was covered with gauze, so 

 she had no difficulty in eating a hole through it 

 in the morning there was not a single cater- 

 pillar left ! Only a gorged dormouse was found 

 curled up under the carpet in a corner of the room 

 I have also seen a dormouse eat the " leather- 

 jacket " grubs of the " daddy-longlegs " with 

 the greatest relish. Of course this little creature 

 is very fond of nuts, and indeed one seldom finds 

 it far from hazel bushes, it will also eat sweet 

 chestnuts, acorns, the seeds of the dog-rose, but 

 it certainly likes a mixed fare, in which it is not 

 above including such items as the eggs of small 

 birds. I have actually caught two dormice in 



