THE CAPE DORMOUSE 



and at night, and ate anything and everything of 

 an edible nature, whether vegetable, fruit, nut 

 or meat. They, however, preferred meat, and if 

 a yariety of foods were placed in the cage, they 

 always selected and ate the flesh food first. On the 

 approach of the cold season these Dormice gradually 

 became less energetic, and one day we found them 

 all in a state of lethargy. They were incapable of 

 walking or standing, and on being handled, moved 

 their heads and legs in a sleepy kind of way ; and 

 when put back into the nest they wriggled for a 

 moment of two and then lay still. The tem- 

 perature of their bodies was at this time much 

 lower than during their periods of activity. When 

 the cage was placed out in the sunshine, they revived 

 and regained all their summer vim and energy. 

 But towards sundown, when the air once again 

 became chilly, they crept into their nests and 

 became torpid. It was interesting to observe how 

 rapidly their bodies responded to a change of 

 temperature of the air. On several occasions I 

 purposely warmed these lethargic Dormice, and 

 within half-an-hour they were as lively as they ever 

 had been during the summer season. Placing them 

 suddenly in a cold cage indoors, their activity 

 steadily diminished, and in fifteen or twenty 

 minutes they were sluggishly and feebly crawling 

 into their nests. 



In the wild state Dormice are invariably in pairs, 

 and it is seldom that more than a couple are seen 



73 



