THE DORMOUSE 61 



ones. In captivity dormice are most amiable 

 and good-natured, several of the same sex living 

 quite happily together, but in a natural state 

 they separate when full grown, each making a 

 nest for itself. All the same I think the male 

 dormouse keeps in touch with his mate, for one 

 usually finds two or three ordinary sleeping nests, 

 or " buck's dreys/' near a big breeding nest (of 

 the nursery more anon), one of which is invariably 

 occupied by a big handsome mouse. For instance, 

 in August, 1914, I found four dormice nests in 

 a certain dingle. One was exceptionally high 

 up, being at least twelve feet from the ground, 

 in a nut bush twined with honeysuckle that over- 

 hung a path. It was an ordinary living nest 

 made chiefly of honeysuckle bark; there was no 

 entrance or exit visible a sure sign of the dor- 

 mouse being at home and when I rapped the 

 main stem of the bush a yellow-brown head was 

 instantly thrust through the side of the nest. 

 He looked at me for a moment and then made a 

 leap to a neighbouring twig and ran off. 



Some six or seven yards away was the second 

 nest, this one being no more than four feet from 

 the ground, also in a nut bush round which was 

 twining honeysuckle. It too was made of the 

 shredded bark of this climber, a few hazel leaves 

 being added on the outside. The open entrance 

 showed it was uninhabited, and during the six 

 weeks or more that I kept an eye on it it remained 

 unused. Apparently if anything causes a dor- 

 mouse to give up a nest it never returns to it, 



