82 



KEARTONS' NATURE PICTURES 



NEST OF DORMOUSE 



and consist for the greater part of 

 dead grass, the finest blades forming 

 the inner lining. I have been fre- 

 quently surprised at the amount of 

 heavy wind-lashed rain their domed 

 roofs will withstand before they are 

 penetrated by moisture. 



The young usually number four, and 

 are born in the spring, although a litter 

 may occasionally be met with as late 

 as September. On one occasion I had 

 a hiding tent fixed up in a Surrey wood 

 near my home, and although I was using 

 it almost daily a Dormouse made her 

 nest in some hazel branches I had bent 

 down in order to obscure my canvas, 

 and reared a family of young ones. 

 When these began to leave their slender 

 cradle of dead grass I could frequently 

 hear and see them playing about on my 

 tent cover overhead, as I sat taking 

 photographs of different birds that came 

 to drink and bathe in a little pool in 

 front of me. 



Dormice readily reconcile themselves 

 to captivity, and are, in consequence, 

 much esteemed by children as cage 

 pets. 



