__ HAMSTERS. FIELDMICE. 83 



or beech-nuts that have been planted, or by gnawing the bark of 

 young trees. It also does considerable damage to the harvest, in 

 company with the true field mouse, by cutting the stocks of the 

 corn (wheat, &c.) to eat a few grains and waste the rest. These 

 animals also store provisions, acorns, filberts, chestnuts, &c.., which 

 they deposite in holes in the ground about a foot deep, concealed 

 by some bushes. 



38. The HAMSTERS have nearly the same teeth as the rats ; but 

 their tail is short and hairy, and both sides of the mouth are 

 hollowed into sacs or cheek-pouches, like certain monkeys, in 

 which they carry Ihe grain upon which they feed. 



39. The Common Hamster, Cricetns Vvlgttfis, (Plate 4, 

 jig. 10.) is larger than the rat, reddish gray above, black on the 



flanks and underneath, with three whitish spots on each side. It 

 feeds on roots and all the cereal grains cultivated by man ; it can 

 however, live on flesh, and when pressed by hunger does not even 

 spare its own species. It digs a hole with two galleries ; an 

 oblique one, to carry out the riddance of the earth, and a per- 

 pendicular one for the entrance and exit of the animal ; these 

 channels lead to different circular excavations which communicate 

 with each other by horizontal tunnels or galleries: one of these 

 chambers is furnished with a bed of dry herbs which serves for 

 the retreat of the animal, and the others are designed to contain 

 provisions which are collected in the warm season for the winter's 

 use. This animal lives solitary, but is numerous in Germany 

 and different sandy parts of Europe and Asia. It is injurious to 

 farmers on account of the quantity of grain it collects, 



Tribe of Fieldmice. 



40. This little group is nearly related to that of the rats ; their 

 external form is nearly the same, but their molar teeth possess a 

 peculiar conformation, which approaches to that of essentially her- 

 bivorous animals. In this tribe are placed Fieldmice properly so 

 called, Lemmings, 8fc, 



41. FIELDMICE properly so called, rfrcicnla, have a squat 

 form, the same number of toes as rats, armed with hooked nails fit 

 for digging, and the tail is hairy and about the length of the body. 

 There are several species known in France. The Campayn.nl, 



38. How are Hamsters distinguished ? 



39. What are the characters of the common .Hamster ? What does it 

 eat? What are its habits? What is the character of its burrows or habi- 

 tations ? 



40. How does the tribe of Fieldmice differ from that of Rats? 



41. How are Fieldmice properly so called characterised ? What is the 

 Campagnol ? 



8 



