THE ZOOLOGIST. 



THIRD SERIES. 



VoL.XL] AUGUST, 1887. [No. J 28. 



THE SLEEP OF THE DORMOUSE, MYOXUS GLIS. 



In 'The Zoologist' for May, 1882, we gave a translation 

 from the German of an interesting article on this subject con- 

 tributed by Dr. A. Eabus to * Der Zoologische Garten.' A further 

 contribution to the subject by Prof. Forel has since appeared in 

 the • Eevue de I'hypnotism,' and as this journal is not likely to 

 come under the notice of many of our readers, they may perhaps 

 be glad to see the article in question in an English dress. We have 

 accordingly translated it, premising that while the observations 

 of Dr. Rabus relate to our well-known Myoxus avellanarius, those 

 of Professor Forel have reference to its congener, Myoxus glis, 

 a common species in the South of Europe. Prof. Forel says : — 



" While residing at Munich I was offered two Dormice, whose 

 owner wished to get rid of them after having been bitten. He 

 gave them to me in winter, and I was much astonished at not 

 receiving them in a state of sleep. On the contrary, they were 

 quite active— a circumstance which I attributed to the heat of the 

 room. I put them in a large wire cage from five to six feet high, 

 m the centre of which there was a small fir tree. I also allowed 

 the little creatures the run of the room. Throughout the winter 

 they continued lively and active, eating an enormous quantity of 

 walnuts and hazel-nuts. As soon as one of them had laboriously 

 gnawed one through, the other came stealthily and tried to take 

 It away from him. They were always spiteful, ever ready to bite. 

 After having been fed all through the spring they became very 



ZOOLOGIST. AUGUST, 1887. Z 



