THE SHORT-TAILED FIELD-MOUSE. 
3^3 
plants in search of food. It climbs nearly as well as a squirrel, 
its sharp nails hooking themselves into every irregularity of the 
bark, and its long finger-like toes clasping round the grass 
stems and little twigs like the claws of a monkey. An autumnal 
evening is the best time for watching the Campagnol, and if 
the observer will only remain perfectly quiet, and keep a good 
opera-glass in readiness, he will be greatly interested by the 
little animal A hedge in which are plenty of dog-roses is a 
likely place for the Campagnol, as the animal is very fond of 
the ripe hips, and ascends the shrubs in search of its daily food. 
When it reaches the branch bending with the scarlet load, the 
mouse runs swiftly and sure-footed as a rope-dancer, and carries 
off a store of the fruit, partly for present consumption and partly 
for a stock of winter food. 
For the little creature is not one of the hibernating animals, 
or, at all events, the semi- sleep is of so light a character that 
the mouse comes often abroad, even in the depth of winter. It 
is undeterred by severe frost, and takes little heed of snow, as 
is proved by its tiny footmarks being tracked in the white and 
yielding substance. 
This little mouse makes two kinds of nest, one for the winter, 
and another for the summer. The winter nest is below ground, 
and is approached by a hole varying much in length. As the 
cavity in which the nest reposes is larger than the tunnel, and 
of a globular form, it is mostly usurped by the wasp when the 
Mouse deserts it for summer quarters. Sometimes it is placed 
at some depth in the ground ; but usually is only a few inches 
from the surface. This is the nest to which Burns refers in his 
well-known poem upon the Field Mouse whose nest he had 
inadvertently ploughed up. 
Besides the winter nest itself, the animal has a storehouse or 
cellar in which are placed the provisions intended for winter 
use, when the weather prohibits the Mouse from leaving its 
home, or when the surrounding shrubs and bushes are plundered 
of their fruits and denuded of their bark. In this storehouse 
the animal conceals quantities of hips and other provisions, 
among which are found numbers of cherry-stones. 
