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AFRICAN GNAWERS 
perate parts of Europe and Asia; two or three species occur in Africa. 
They live generally in cornfields, where they dig deep burrows with 
numerous chambers, into which they can retreat to take their repose, 
and in which they pass the winter, previously, however, taking care to 
lay up a good store of provisions in some of the chambers of their 
domicile. 
They are rather pretty little beasts, about ten inches long, with 
bright, prominent, black eyes, short thin ears, and tapering hairy tail, 
about two inches and a half in length. The fur, which is thick and 
somewhat lustrous, is usually of a light yellowish-brown color above, 
with the snout, the neighborhood of the eyes, and a band on the neck 
reddish-brown, and a yellow spot on each cheek; the lower surface, 
the greater part of the legs, and a band on the forehead are black, 
and the feet white. Many varieties occur. The hamster is widely 
distributed, ranging from the Rhine through Europe and Siberia, to 
Obi; and in most localities where it occurs it appears in great num¬ 
bers, and causes great injury to the crops. Its burrows are exceed¬ 
ingly spacious, and consist of numerous passages and chambers. It is 
stubborn and easily angered, and at the same time very courageous, 
defending itself bravely against its enemies, and standing boldly on 
the defensive the moment any danger appears to threaten it. Its 
diet is by no means of a purely vegetable nature, for it will destroy 
and devour all sorts of small animals that come in its way. Besides 
the corn, which forms its chief winter provender, green herbage, peas 
and beans and roots and fruits of various kinds are welcome articles 
of diet, and in confinement it will eat almost anything. 
The hamsters pass the winter in their burrows in a torpid or 
sleeping state, but waken up very early in the spring, generally in 
March, but frequently in February. At first they do not open the 
mouths of their burrows, but remain for a time subsisting on stores 
laid up during the preceding autumn. The old males make their 
appearance first, the females about a fortnight after them, the latter 
about the beginning of April. They then set about making their 
summer burrows which are not so deep or so complicated as the winter 
dwellings. 
The Porcupine.— There are many animals which have been 
provided by nature with some means of defence against their enemies, 
