106 RODENTS. 



the full black eyes, which stand out in marked prominence to the tawny hue of 

 the coat. In the adult the fur of the upper-parts is of a light reddish tawny colour, 

 while below it is paler and yellower : the throat and upper part of the chest being 

 marked by a white patch. In the young the colour is, however, at first of mouse- 

 grey, the reddish tinge of the adult appearing first on the head ami flanks, and 

 thence spreading over the body. The length of the head and body is 3 inches, and 

 that of the tail about half an inch less. 



The common dormouse appears to be confined to Europe, ranging 

 Distribution. „ rr . . rr , . T , • i 



rrom Sweden and hnluin m the north to JNorthern Italy in the 



south, and extending eastwards as far as the north of Turkey, Galicia, Hungary, 



and Transylvania. Although generally more common in the southern than in the 



northern districts of its habitat, it is reported to be less abundant in the south 



of France than either of the other two species inhabiting Europe. 



In its arboreal mode of life, and the manner in which it holds its 

 Habits. 



food between its fore-paws when eating, as well as in the nature of 



its food, there is much to remind us in the common dormouse (and likewise its 

 allies) of the squirrel. Whereas, however, squirrels are mainly diurnal, dormice 

 are exclusively nocturnal, remaining curled up during the day in their nests, or in 

 some hole, asleep, and only issuing forth in search of food with the falling shades 

 of evening. The dormouse is usually to be found in dense thickets and coppices, 

 or in hedgerows: making its nest generally among the underwood, although some- 

 times beneath a protecting tussock of grass in the open field The winter-nest is a 

 globular structure composed of twigs, leaves, moss, and grass: and is built in the 

 autumn, and stored with a small supply of food for winter use. ( tecasionally small 

 colonies of either the breeding or the winter-nests may be placed in the same 

 thicket: Yarrell having observed as many as ten or twelve together. After 

 feasting on the abundant nuts and mast of autumn, the dormouse accumulates 

 a huge amount of fat. and with the approach of winter retires to its nest for the 

 period of hibernation. A warm day in winter serves, however, to arouse the little 

 creature from its slumbers, when it will consume some of its store of food. The 

 chief food of the dormouse consists of hazel-nuts, acorns, beech-mast, corn, and 

 haws, and other wild berries. It is reported to extract the kernels from hazel-nuts 

 without removing them from their stems: and in climbing from branch to branch 

 in search of food it exhibits marvellous agility. Bell observes that "both fore 

 and hind-feet are well padded internally with fleshy, broadish tubercles, thus 

 converting them into hands, in the use of which the creature, when creeping 

 about in a bush of whitethorn, as Ave have seen it, exhibits an adroitness 

 which is quite unequalled by the little agile harvest-mouse, and scarcely surpassed 

 by the squirrel" 



The duration of the winter sleep is generally from five to six months, dor- 

 mice generally retiring about the middle of October, and not resuming activity 

 before the end of March or April, by which time they have completely lost all 

 traces of the fat accumulated in autumn. The young do not generally commence 

 their hibernation so early in the autumn as the adults. In England the young of 

 this species are generally born in the spring, although there is evidence that in 

 some cases they may be produced as late as September ; thus indicating the prob- 



