FAMILY C LAVICULATA. WITH PERFECT COLLAR BONES. 



37 



and climb trees with great facility in search of them. During the greater 

 part of the day they sleep, and come out only at night. Having stored their 

 holes with nuts, acorns, chestnuts, corn, &c., they fall asleep on the approach 

 of cold weather, and remain torpid during the winter, except occasionally 

 waking to feed, after which they soon fall asleep again. They are found 

 both in Europe and America, and seem to form the intermediate link 

 between Rats and Squirrels. 



The Common Dormouse (M. Avellanarius) is about the size of a Mouse, 

 and is the only species found in England ; it inhabits Europe generally so 

 far as Sweden. It lives in the hedges, makes its nest in a hollow tree near 

 the bottom, or in a thick bush, consisting of grass woven together and of a 

 round form, with a conical aperture at top. It brings three or four young, 

 which soon quit the nest for habitations of their own ; here they deposit 

 their store of nuts, and coiling themselves up like a ball, pass the winter in 

 a torpid state. When feeding, they sit up and hold their food like a 

 Squirrel. (Plate 12.) 



The Fat Dormouse (M. Glis), found in the south-western parts of Russia, 

 Germany, southern France, Switzerland, Italy and Greece, but not in cold 

 climates ; it lives in the forests, climbs trees with great facility, and springs 

 readily from branch to branch. This Dormouse, which is about the size 

 of a Rat, was considered a delicacy by the Roman gourmands, who had 

 their Gliralia, or feeding-places, for the purpose of fattening them properly. 



The Garden Dormouse (M. Nitela), about an inch shorter than the last, 

 is found in France and the south of Europe, in Poland and Prussia, in the 

 gardens, and sometimes in houses. It brings five or six young at a birth. 

 During the winter they collect in parties of eight or ten, and sleep together 

 in the midst of their food. 



There are several other species, but they are of less importance than those 

 described. 



CASTOR Beaver. This curious genus of animals is particularly distin- 

 guished from others of the same order by its tail, which is remarkably 

 broad and thin, and is covered with scales. The fore feet are small, but 

 the hind feet are very large. The incisor or cutting teeth are remarkably 

 large and strong, and as in the other genera of the Rodentia extend deeply 

 within the jaws. They are possessed of inguinal pouches which secrete 

 the substance known in Pharmacy as Castor or Castoreum, and is very 

 valuable. The skins are important articles in commerce, being used in the 

 manufacture of hats ; the short downy part of the fur, which is close to the 

 body and covered by the long, coarse hair, being employed for that pur- 

 pose ; but it is generally mixed with the downy fur of other animals. The 

 black skins are esteemed most valuable, but the general colour is a dark 

 chestnut-brown : white Beavers are very rare. In shooting the Beaver, the 

 hunters endeavour to get to the side contrary to the wind, as the animal is 

 very shy, is possessed of a keen ear, and has a fine scent ; and this is gene- 

 rally done whilst they are at work or feeding. At other times they are 

 taken in traps composed of the branches of poplars, to which is attached a 

 log of wood, which falls upon the animal when it disturbs the trap by 

 stripping off the bark of the sticks, of which it is very fond. During the 

 frost, the hunter seeks his prey by making holes in the ice at a distance 

 from the houses, over which he spreads large nets, and having broken down 

 the huts, sends in Dogs trained for the purpose, which drive out the Bea- 

 vers, which are netted in their attempt to escape through the holes in the 

 ice. The last methods are preferred as doing less damage to the skin. 



These animals spend the greater part of their time in the water, and live 

 principally upon the bark and young branches of trees. They are found in 

 the northern parts of Europe and Asia, but are most abundant in North 

 America. 



The Castor Beaver (C. Fiber) is about the size of a Badger ; it is covered 

 with a coarse fur of a ferruginous-brown colour, beneath which and close 

 to the body is found a fine down ; the eyes are large and black ; ears short 

 and hid in the fur ; nose blunt ; toes of the fore feet distinct, those of the 

 hind feet webbed, and the second toe has an additional nail; tail about 

 eleven inches in length and three in breadth. 



The Beaver presents one of the strongest instances of instinctive sagacity 



and industry which can be met with in the animal creation. It is grega- 

 rious, living in societies of two or three hundred, whose labours are em- 

 ployed for the general good, and their settlements are made either in ponds 

 so deep as not to allow of their being frozen to the bottom, and which have 

 a stream of water running through them, or in rivers themselves. Having 

 determined on the place in which to erect their habitations, the first busi- 

 ness consists in forming a dam ; and for this purpose they stop the stream 

 in the most favourable place for their operations. The dam is raised by 

 driving stakes of five or six feet length into the ground at different distances, 

 interweaving them with branches of trees, and filling up the interstices with 

 clay, stones, and sand, which they ram down very firmly with their tails ; 

 the foundation of the dam is ten or twelve feet thick, the top is not more 

 than two or three feet broad, presenting a perpendicular face to the stream, 

 whilst the slope is placed on the outside, where as grass grows the dam is 

 rendered more solid. In this way they build a dam not unfrequently a 

 hundred feet in length. Within the embankment near the edge of the 

 shore, are built the houses, which are from ten to twenty-five in number ; 

 these are raised upon piles, and sometimes consist of two or three stories, 

 for the convenience of change in case of floods. The houses are of a round 

 or oval form with a vaulted roof; the walls about two feet thick, formed 

 of earth, stones, and sticks, but neatly plastered within ; and to each are 

 two entrances, one towards the water, and the other facing the land. Their 

 height above the water is about eight feet. In each habitation reside from 

 two to thirty Beavers, each animal having its own bed of moss, and each 

 family its own winter stock of provisions, consisting of the bark and small 

 branches of trees, which are kept in the water and fetched within as re- 

 quired. Whilst at work in erecting their dwellings one of the party acts 

 as an overseer, and by striking his tail indicates which parts are weakest ; 

 and according to M. du Pratz, the same signal is made when they are dis- 

 turbed, and are afraid of danger, on which account one is always placed as 

 sentinel. (Plate 12.) 



HYDEOMUS Coypu. The most remarkable external character of the 

 Hydromures is the webbing of the toes, all of which are enveloped in mem- 

 brane to the claws, except the outer, which is free. They differ from the 

 Rats, in having but two instead of three molar teeth on a side in each jaw ; 

 so that they seem to connect the Beavers with the Rats, and are only found 

 in the southern parts of the New World. 



The Mus Caypus (H. Coypu) is the largest of the genus, being about 

 twenty-one inches in length, and the tail twice as long. It is mentioned by 

 Molina as in size and colour resembling the Otter. (Plate 12.) The general 

 colour of the animal is reddish-brown on the back, but inclining to a bright 

 brown on the sides, whilst the belly is of the same colour, but dull. It is 

 a good-tempered animal, easily domesticated, and will feed on any kind of 

 food ; naturally it lives much in the water, but utters no cry, except when 

 injured. It is found commonly in Buenos Ayres, Chili, and Tucuman, but 

 rarely in Paraguay. 



The Yellow-beUied Coypu (H. Chrysogaster) is about half the size of the 

 last species, and is a native of Canal d'Entrecastaux. 



The White-bellied Coypu (H. Leucogaster), about the same size as the 

 last, is a native of the Isle of Maria. 



Mas Rat, or Mouse. These animals differ materially in size, varying 

 between twelve and two and a half inches. They are distinguished from 

 the Dormice by the obtuse form of their head, by their less prominent eyes; 

 from the Hamsters by not having cheek-pouches ; from the Jerboas and 

 others by the equal length of their legs, which are furnished with delicate 

 toes armed with slender and pointed claws ; the toes are not webbed like 

 the Water Rats, nor have they the edges furnished with strong hairs like 

 the Musk Rats. The length of the tail is very various, in some it exceeds, 

 in others equals, and in some is less than that of the body. The greater 

 number of Rats are covered with coarsish hair, but some few have the hair 

 spiny. In their habits they are omnivorous, feeding indiscriminately on 

 grain, roots, fresh and putrid animal matter, and hence are very frequently 

 found in butchers' shops and slaughter-houses; but when impelled by 

 hunger, they attack each other and the stronger feed on the weaker. Some 



