28 THE MAMMALIA OF DOlRSETSHiRE. 



top bar looks exacth' like a fox running along the ground two 

 hundred yards off. 



Family MYOXID.E. 



Genus MFOXUS. 



Dormouse, JMyoxus avellanariiis. 



This is an extremely gentle and ir.offensive little animal, and 

 more easily tamed than any other. Even when first caught it 

 appears to be tame, and never attempts to bite. It takes its food 

 holding it in its front paws and sitting on its haunches just like 

 a squirrel. Towards the winter it becomes exceedingly fat and, 

 having laid up a store of food, retires to its little nest, and, 

 coiling itself up into a ball, with the tail over the head and back, 

 becomes completely torpid. A tame one we had was lost for a 

 considerable time, but was at last found curled up in one of my 

 mother's muffs. We have never been able to keep one in con- 

 finement over two years, as they soon die apparently of old age. 



Family MURID.E. 

 Genus MUS. 



Harvest IMouse, I\Tiis minuius. 



Common in wheat fields and ricks. It is much more quiet 

 and active than the common mouse, and forms a beautiful little 

 round nest, suspended on living plants at the height of five 

 inches from the ground. 



Long-tailed Field Mouse, i\his sylvaiicus. 



A common and destructive species. 



Common House I\Iouse, JMus musculus. 



Very common and well known. 



Black Rat, JSlus nittiis. 



The old English or Black Rat has now become a rare animal 

 in this country, but was, previously to the introduction of its 

 more powerful congener and persecutor, the Brown Rat, as 

 numerous and as extensively distributed as that species. At 

 the meeting of the Dorset Field Club held at Poole on 

 September 13th, 1SS7, Mr. W. Penny informed the members 



