THE SHORT-TAILED FIE'LD-MOUSE. 383 



plants in search of food. It climbs nearly as well as a squirrel, 

 its sharp nails hooking themselves into every irregularity of the 

 bark, and its long finger-like toes clasping round the grass 

 stems and little twigs like the claws of a monkey. An autumnal 

 evening is the best time for watching the Campagnol, and if 

 the observer will only remain perfectly quiet, and keep a good 

 opera -glass in readiness, he will be greatly interested by the 

 little animal. A hedge in which are plenty of dog-roses is a 

 likely place for the Campagnol, as the animal is very fond of 

 the ripe hips, and ascends the shrubs in search of its daily food. 

 When it reaches the branch bending with the scarlet load, the 

 mouse runs swiftly and sure-footed as a rope-dancer, and carries 

 off a store of the fruit, partly for present consumption and partly 

 for a stock of winter food. 



For the little creature is not one of the hibernating animals, 

 or, at all events, the semi- sleep is of so light a character that 

 the mouse comes often abroad, even in the depth of winter. It 

 is undeterred by severe frost, and takes little heed of snow, as 

 is proved by its tiny footmarks being tracked in the white and 

 yielding substance. 



This little mouse makes two kinds of nest, one for the winter, 

 and another for the summer. The winter nest is below ground, 

 and is approached by a hole varying much in length. As the 

 cavity in which the nest reposes is larger than the tunnel, and 

 of a globular form, it is mostly usurped by the wasp when the 

 Mouse deserts it for summer quarters. Sometimes it is placed 

 at some depth in the ground ; but usually is only a few mohes 

 from the surface. This is the nest to which Burns refers in his 

 well-known poem upon the Field Mouse whose nest he had 

 inadvertently ploughed up. 



Besides the winter nest itself, the animal has a storehouse or 

 cellar in which are placed the provisions intended for winter 

 use, when the weather y)rohibits the Mouse from leavmg its 

 home, or when the surrounding shrubs and bushes are plundered 

 of their fruits and denuded of their bark. In this storehouse 

 the animal conceals quantities of hips and other provisions, 

 among which are found numbers of cherry-stones. 



