io6 
RODENTS. 
Distribution. 
Habits. 
the full black eyes, which stand out in marked prominence to the tawny hue of 
the coat. In the adult the fur of the upper-parts is of a light reddish tawny colour, 
while below it is paler and yellower; the throat and upper part of the chest being 
marked by a white patch. In the young the colour is, however, at first of mouse- 
grey, the reddish tinge of the adult appearing first on the head and flanks, and 
thence spreading over the body. The length of the head and body is 3 inches, and 
that of the tail about half an inch less. 
The common dormouse appears to be confined to Europe, ranging 
from Sweden and Britain in the north to Northern Italy in the 
south, and extending eastwards as far as the north of Turkey, Galicia, Hungary, 
and Transylvania. Although generally more common in the southern than in the 
northern districts of its habitat, it is reported to be less abundant in the south 
of France than either of the other two species inhabiting Europe. 
In its arboreal mode of life, and the manner in which it holds its 
food between its fore-paws when eating, as well as in the nature of 
its food, there is much to remind us in the common dormouse (and likewise its 
allies) of the squirrel. Whereas, however, squirrels are mainly diurnal, dormice 
are exclusively nocturnal, remaining curled up during the day in their nests, or in 
some hole, asleep, and only issuing forth in search of food with the falling shades 
of evening. The dormouse is usually to be found in dense thickets and coppices, 
or in hedgerows; making its nest generally among the underwood, although some¬ 
times beneath a protecting tussock of grass in the open field. The winter-nest is a 
globular structure composed of twigs, leaves, moss, and grass; and is built in the 
autumn, and stored with a small supply of food for winter use. Occasionally small 
colonies of either the breeding or the winter-nests may be placed in the same 
thicket; Yarrell having observed as many as ten or twelve together. After 
feasting on the abundant nuts and mast of autumn, the dormouse accumulates 
a large amount of fat, and with the approach of winter retires to its nest for the 
period of hibernation. A warm day in winter serves, however, to arouse the little 
creature from its slumbers, when it will consume some of its store of food. The 
chief food of the dormouse consists of hazel-nuts, acorns, beech-mast, corn, and 
haws, and other wild berries. It is reported to extract the kernels from hazel-nuts 
without removing them from their stems; and in climbing from branch to branch 
in search of food it exhibits marvellous agility. Bell observes that “ both fore 
and hind-feet are well padded internally with fleshy, broadish tubercles, thus 
converting them into hands, in the use of which the creature, when creeping 
about in a bush of whitethorn, as we have seen it, exhibits an adroitness 
which is quite unequalled by the little agile harvest-mouse, and scarcely surpassed 
by the squirrel.” 
The duration of the winter sleep is generally from five to six months, dor¬ 
mice generally retiring about the middle of October, and not resuming activity 
before the end of March or April, by which time they have completely lost all 
traces of the fat accumulated in autumn. The young do not generally commence 
their hibernation so early in the autumn as the adults. In England the young of 
this species are generally born in the spring, although there is evidence that in 
some cases they may be produced as late as September; thus indicating the prob- 
