322 



THE RODENTS OR GNAWING ANIMALS. 



ing during the day and prowls around every night, 

 while the summer lasts, searching for food. It eats 

 acorns and nuts, does not despise sweet, juicy fruit, 

 and attacks, kills and devours any little animal it 

 can overcome. Few Rodents surpass it in voracity, 

 and it eats as long as it can do so. During the 

 autumnal months it amasses provisions and stores 

 them in its hiding place. At this time of the year it 

 becomes very fat, and prepares its winter quarters, 

 making a nest of tender moss in deep holes in the 

 ground, hollow trees, crannies in. rocks or old walls. 

 There it curls up, usually in company with several 



THE LEBOI. This animal is sometimes called the Garden 



Dormouse, for it enters gardens and is very destructive, devour- 

 ing iruit, vegetables and cereals. Its markings are admirably 

 shown in the picture. (Eliomys nitela.) 



others of its kind, and falls into a sleep which is per- 

 haps the soundest experienced by any of the hiber- 

 nating animals. It begins this sleep early in the fall 

 and rarely wakes before April. 



The worst persecutors of the Loir are probably 

 Martens, Polecats, Wild Cats, Weasels and Owls. 

 The little creature defends itself very courageously, 

 though vainly, against the strongest enemies. Where 

 it is common, the Loir is eagerly pursued by Man 

 for its flesh as well as its skin, and is caught in traps 

 of various kinds. 



It is seldom seen in captivity, for it is an uninter- 

 esting animal, always irritable, and never becomes 

 friendly with its keeper. It ferociously growls, with 

 a peculiar snoring sound, at every person who ap- 

 proaches it. Its only virtue is its cleanliness. 



The Lerotin (Myoxus dryas) is intermediate be- 

 tween the Loir and the Lerot. Its length is seven 

 inches, about half of which is taken by the tail. 

 The body is reddish brown or brownish gray above 

 with a sharp line marking the margin of the white 

 under surface. A black stripe runs between the 

 eyes, broadening out above the eyes so that it 

 reaches the ears. The tail is dark brownish gray 

 above, white below. It is a rare species and ranges 

 in southern Russia, lower Austria and Silesia. Its 

 habits correspond with those of the Loirs and 

 Lerots, as far as they are known. 



The Group of The group of the Lerots (Eliomys) 



the Letota differs from the preceding mainly 



Described. j n dentition. The teeth of the Loir 



are ground flat at the crown, while those of the 



Lerots become hollow. An external distinguishing 

 feature of the Lerots is in the tail, which is short- 

 haired at the base and is bushy and of two colors at 

 the tip. The upper and under surfaces are of differ- 

 ent colors. 



Physical Char- The Lerot {Eliomys nitela) attains a 



acteristics of length of body of nearly six inches, 



Lerots. anc j a length of tail of nearly four 



inches. The head and upper parts are of a reddish 



gray-brown tint, the under parts are white. 



The Lerot, which was known to the ancient Ro- 

 mans under the name of Nitela, belongs chiefly to the 

 temperate parts of central and western Europe. Its 

 food is the same as that of the Loir. 



Hibernation and For hibernation, the Lerot selects 

 Food of the dry, sheltered holes in trees and 

 Lerot. walls, or Moles' burrows, or else it 



invades farms lying near forests, and creeps into 

 some hiding place in garden houses, barns, hay-lofts, 

 coal men's shanties, or other dwellings. Usually 

 several Lerots sleep in one nest, the entire party 

 nestling close together and nearly rolled into a ball. 

 Their sleep is unbroken, but not so sound as that of 

 other hibernating animals, for whenever the weather 

 is mild they wake up, eat a little of their provisions, 

 and become torpid again only when the weather 

 again becomes cold. 



The Lerot is a detested visitor in gardens, where 

 the finer kinds of fruit are grown. A single animal 

 is sufficient to ruin an entire crop of peaches or ap- 

 ricots. It shows a taste in its depredations which 

 does it great credit, for it selects only the best and 

 juiciest of fruit to eat although it often gnaws into 

 other varieties, to try them, and in this way it 

 ruins much more than it really eats. Therefore, as 

 it works only destruction and is not of the slightest 

 use either for its flesh or its skin, it is zealously pur- 

 sued by garden owners. 



Peculiarities of The third species of the family, which 

 the Common comprises the Dormice proper (Mus- 

 Dormouse. cardimis) also differs from the pre- 

 ceding mainly in respect to its teeth. The ears are 

 also smaller. The fur of the tail is rather short and 

 of uniform length throughout. 



A single variety of this species exists in Europe. 

 It is the Common Dormouse {Muscardinus avellana- 

 rius), one of the p'rettiest, nimblest and most grace- 

 ful creatures among European Rodents, distinguished 

 as much by its dainty figure and beautiful coloring 

 as by its cleanly habits, pretty ways and gentle 

 temper. The little creature is about as large as a 

 domestic Mouse; its total length is five and one- 

 half inches, about half of this going to the tail. The 

 fur is of a uniform yellowish red tint; the under sur- 

 face is a little lighter, and the breast and throat are 

 white. Central Europe is the native country of the 

 little Dormouse, and its haunts are nearly identical 

 with those of its family relations. Low bushes and 

 hedges, especially thickets of hazel nuts, form its 

 preferred places of abode. 



All day long the Dormouse lies somewhere in hid- 

 ing and sleeps. At night it looks for food, which 

 consists of nuts, acorns, hard seeds, juicy fruits, 

 berries and buds; but it is fondest of hazel nuts. 

 It lives in small communities, which can not be said 

 to be closely united. Either singly or two together 

 the Dormice build a soft, warm, ingenious nest 

 out of grass, leaves, moss, small roots and hair, in 

 some dense bush, and from there they set out on 

 their nocturnal prowlings over their domain, nearly 

 always in company with others which live in prox- 



