MAMMALS AS NEST BUILDERS 129 



litter, in a little round nest composed of grass or 

 wheat.' The globular structure, about the size 

 of an orange, receives its support by being inter- 

 woven around the straws of corn, grasses, twigs 

 of shrubs, etc. It is only used as a summer resi- 

 dence, for during the winter months the mice 

 burrow underground and remain in a torpid con- 

 dition until the return of the warm weather induces 

 them to come forth ; but those individuals which 

 may happen to have been carried and deposited 

 in the barns during the ingathering of the harvest 

 remain active throughout the winter. 



The common dormouse is another animal indi- 

 genous to this country which indulges in the practice 

 of nest building ; indeed, it goes so far as to con- 

 struct two nests, the one serving for its winter 

 quarters and the other as a summer domicile wherein 

 the young ones are bom and reared. Made of 

 grass, moss, leaves and twigs, both structures are 

 globular in form, and are built amidst hedges and 

 bushes, the winter home being constructed during 

 the autumn, and a supply of food being stored 

 therein for the use of the inmates during the cold 

 weather. The dormouse is nocturnal in habits, 

 and feeds principally upon berries, beech-mast, 

 seeds of various kinds, and nuts. It is especially 

 fond of hazel-nuts, and for this reason it is called 

 in Germany by the name of ' Haselmaus.' The 

 creature grows to a length of about three inches, 

 exclusive of its tail, which measures two and a half 

 inches long ; while its luminous eyes are character- 

 ised by their large size. 



