106 RODENTIA. 



the body, outside of the thighs and the rump red-brown, or 

 reddish ; the tip of the snout, cheeks, and outside of the 

 fore-legs whitish ; portions of the neck, breast, and belly- 

 are a very dark blackish brown ; tail near the root clothed 

 with reddish hairs, the rest naked and black. The males 

 are somewhat larger than the females. There is a variety 

 entirely black, except a little white round the mouth, on 

 the nose and borders of the ears, the under parts of the 

 feet, and tip of the tail. 



Constructs with much art a burrow divided into several 

 chambers, where it lays up a store of roots, grass, and corn 

 on which to subsist in the winter ; this store sometimes has 

 been found to weigh 100 lbs. ! The Hamster passes the 

 cold season in its nest of straw, having first carefully closed 

 the entrance. It becomes torpid in extreme cold. Some- 

 times attacks and eats small birds and mice. Is pugnaci- 

 ous, and when two of these animals are engaged in a fight, 

 with their cheek-pouches puffed out, their appearance is 

 very singular. The female goes with young four weeks, 

 producing from three to nine, or even more, at a birth, in 

 a burrow apart from the males, and breeds several times 

 in the year. 



Length of head and body, 8 inches ; head, 1 inch 10 lines ; 

 ears, 6 lines ; tail, 1 inch 6 lines. — F. M. 



Inhabits the central and northern countries of Europe 

 and Siberia. Is common in the fertile plains of Poland and 

 Eussia, and in Livonia. Is found in Germany, where it is 

 common. In Silesia. In Belgium it occurs in small num- 

 bers near Liege, between Heme and Limburg, also near 

 Aix-la-Chapelle. In France, only in Alsace. It is not 

 found in Switzerland. 



