THE DORMOUSE. 



ALL the species of dormice live in holes in the ground, 

 where they remain during the winter in a state of 

 torpor. Their food consists entirely of vegetables, and 

 they eat only in the night. In doing so they sit up- 

 right, and feed themselves like squirrels with their paws. 

 These animals collect little stores of nuts, acorns, and 

 other food for their winter provision. The nest is com- 

 monly formed in the hollow of some low tree, or near 

 the bottom of close shrubs, of interwoven grass, dead 

 leaves, and moss. It has a small opening near the top, 

 for the ingress and egress of the animal. Retiring to 

 their holes on the approach of the cold, and rolling 

 themselves up, dormice lie torpid nearly all the winter, 

 and therefore consume but little of the hoard which they 

 have diligently laid up. In a warm sunny day they 

 revive for a short time, take a little food, and soon re- 

 lapse into their former state. 



In the third volume of the " Naturalist," Mr. Salmon 

 gives the following account of a dormouse which he 



