THE MICE— HAMSTER. 



343 



partly subdued — more amazed than furious — it 

 stands up on its hind legs in front of its bristly 

 antagonist and regards it with a thoroughly ludi- 

 crous mixture of trepidation and grim fury, or else 

 it vents its rage on some other object, such as an 

 innocent Hamster fellow-prisoner, upon which it 

 inflicts the bites originally intended for the Hedge- 

 hog. Whenever the Hedgehog stirs the perform- 

 ance is repeated, to the intense amusement of the 

 spectator. 



With other smaller animals it naturally agrees 

 still less and even hunts them; for it is predaceous 

 and its food in a great measure consists of living 

 creatures. It is more partial to a diet of small 

 birds, Mice, Lizards, Blindworms, Ringed Snakes, 

 and insects than to vegetable food. 



Food As soon as the vegetables and greens 



of the Ham- in the fields are mature, the Ham- 

 sters, sters are very busy with the harvest. 

 Husks of linseed, lima beans and peas seem to be 



///''•"■y . ... ,, 



Hamsters in \ n the beginning of October, when 

 Winter Quar- the weather becomes cold and the 

 ters. fields are bare, the Hamster begins 



earnestly to prepare for winter. Its bed is very 

 small and is closely lined with the finest straw. 

 Then the half torpid animal eats its fill and curls up 

 and goes to sleep. Its circulation is so diminished 

 that its limbs when touched feel ice cold and are so 

 rigid that the joints can only be moved with great 

 effort, and if forcibly bent they immediately re- 

 sume their former position, like those of animals 

 which have only recently died. The eyes are closed. 

 Respiration and heart beat are imperceptible. Usu- 

 ally the heart beats fourteen or fifteen times a min- 

 ute. The first symptom of returning animation 

 before the animal awakes is a diminution of the 

 rigidity. Then respiration increases in activity and 

 the animal stirs; it yawns, uttering a rattling sound, 

 stretches itself, opens its eyes, staggers like a 

 drunken animal, tries to sit up and falls, gets on 



HAMSTERS.^ These Rodents, though nearly related to the Mice, have special characteristics, among which the possession of capacious 



cheek pouches is noteworthy. They are lively, alert animals which steal grain and store it in large quantities. The animal when approached by an 

 enemy assumes the position shown by the sitting animal on the right hand side of the picture. (Cricetus f rumen tortus.) 



given the preference for winter storage. The Ham- 

 ster works at its harvesting in the daytime only in 

 those thinly peopled localities where it is entirely 

 undisturbed; its usual working time are the first half 

 of the night and the early morning before sunrise. 

 It bends the high blades of grain with its fore-paws, 

 detaches the ear with one bite, seizes it in its paws 

 and by dint of turning it around a few times, takes 

 all the grains off, and collects them in its cheek 

 pouches. In this way the capacious pouches are 

 stored to plethoric fullness, and some Hamsters may 

 carry a weight of fifty grains home at one time. An 

 animal so heavily loaded has an extremely ludicrous 

 appearance and is one of the clumsiest creatures in 

 the world. One can pick it up without fear, for the 

 crowded pouches prevent its biting; but one must 

 be quick and not give it time, else it empties the 

 pouches and assumes the defensive, and it can then 

 inflict a painful wound. 



its feet, reflects a little and finally moves slowly 



about; if food be given it, it devours it immediately, 



washes and strokes its fur and awakes completely. 



The Enemies It is really fortunate for humanity 



of the Ham- that the Hamster, the rapid increase 



sters. f which gives it a prodigious power 



for evil, has so many enemies. Owls, Ravens and 



other birds, and even more Polecats and Weasels, 



are on its trail unceasingly and kill it wherever and 



whenever they encounter it, and many of these pests 



are thus destroyed. 



In some regions Man wages a relentless war 

 against the Hamster. The principal profit of the 

 chase accrues from the provisions which this singu- 

 lar quarry lays up; the people simply wash the 

 grains, dry and then grind them like other grain. 

 The skins are also put to account; experience has 

 shown that they yield an excellent, light and dura- 

 ble fur. In some localities the flesh is also eaten. 



