202 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
retiring little creature. The large area occupied by the “fen 
country” would, it need hardly be observed, be for the most part 
ill adapted to its habits. As might be supposed, some slight 
variation has been observed in the habits of dormice, occasioned 
by the natural features, &c., of the district they inhabit. Beech 
and oak woods and hazel copses seem to have great attractions 
for them. Captain Hadfield informed me that in the Isle of Wight 
their nests were frequently found by a friend in ivy, growing on 
rocks and the trunks of trees, and also in old ricks. In a letter 
which appeared in ‘ The Field’ (April 19th, 1884), signed J. B. R., 
the writer, speaking of the habits of this animal in Oxfordshire, 
says—‘ They are found mostly in the vicinity of the parasite 
‘Old Man’s Beard,’ with which they line their nests before laying 
up for the winter..... They are fond of daisy seed.” The 
nest of the Dormouse has been found in furze, thorn, and various 
other bushes, in laurel and other evergreens, in hedges, and even 
on the ground, two instances of which are given in a letter 
received from Mr. J. Gatcombe, of Plymouth, the first mentioned 
nest having been found near Plymouth by a friend of the writer, 
Mr. T. A. Briggs, the other by Mr. Bignall in Cann Wood, near 
the same town. Mr. Briggs on one occasion discovered two old 
dormice in one nest; this, however, appears to be quite an 
exceptional occurrence. 
From the following particulars it may be gathered that this 
species is distributed in more or less abundance throughout the 
southern, western, and midland counties, and is found in some 
parts of Wales, as well as in a few suitable localities in the 
counties north of Yorkshire. 
To begin with the south-western corner of our island, taking 
CoRNWALL as a starting-point from whence to trace the distribution 
of this species northwards, we find the following editorial note 
referring to that county, occurring in ‘The Field’ (May 3rd, 
1884) :—“ Couch in his ‘ Cornish Fauna,’ Bullmore, and Cocks in 
his ‘ Fauna of Falmouth,’ all testify to this little animal being 
found in Cornwall, where, in particular localities, it is said to be 
not uncommon,” a statement since confirmed by Mr. Gatcombe. 
From DrvonsuireE there is abundant evidence of its occurrence 
in many parts of the county. Mr. J. J. Phillips reports it as very 
common at Morebath, on the borders of Somersetshire. Near 
the south coast both Mr. D’Urban and Mr. Gatcombe consider it 
