ORDER RODENTIA. 135 



when the fields were to be stripped of their productions, it 

 forms in these burrows considerable magazines, often 

 more extensive than its wants require, and thus it is 

 enabled to wait the return of spring, and the maturity of 

 the harvest. In other respects it is a stupid animal, alto- 

 gether under the empire of circumstances in which it may be 

 placed. In the solitude of the country it grows timid and 

 ferocious. Brought up in captivity, it familiarizes itself 

 with every thing it sees or hears ; but it does not distinguish 

 those who feed it from other persons. The actions of both 

 evidently appear to it nothing but simple motions. The 

 rolling of a stone, the walking of a man, the running of a 

 dog, make upon it but one and the same impression. It 

 can, however, defend itself, and will bite cruelly. 



M. Sonnini, however, gives rather a different character 

 to this animal. Although, says he, their principal food is 

 vegetable, they will also devour birds and other weak ani- 

 mals. They also fight furiously whenever they meet, and 

 the vanquished becomes the prey of the conqueror ; the fury 

 of their quarrels and combats is pushed to such a length in 

 this species, that both the male and female will sometimes 

 destroy its mate. The same writer relates that the female 

 of a pair confined in one cage destroyed the male, and de- 

 voured a part of its viscera. Ferocity, he continues, is the 

 dominating passion of the Hamster ; he attacks whatever 

 he meets ; neither superiority of strength nor size will deter 

 him ; the dimensions of the horse, the address of the dog, 

 not even the appearance of man, will deter him from the 

 attack, and he will rather die than yield or quit his hold. 



Fabricius (apud Gesner, Hist. Quad.) states that he had 

 seen a Hamster leap on the muzzle of a horse, and hold 

 on with his teeth till he was killed. When preparing for 

 attack, the Hamster voids his pouches, if previously full, 

 and then inflates them so much that the head and neck be- 

 come larger than the rest of the body ; he then erects him- 



