. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Mammals; Natural history; Mammifères; Sciences naturelles. THE HAMSTER. 561 with air at the pleasure of the animal. The lengtli of the adidt Hamster is about fifteen iiu'lics, the tail l>oiii' only three inches loiijr. The Hamster is most destructive to the crops, whether of corn, peas or beans and when the autumn approaclies, besins to plunder the fields in a most systematic manner for the purpose of nying up a winter store of provisions. By dint of dexterous manafie- iiicnt, the animal iills its cheek-pouches with grain, pressing it firmly wi
. The illustrated natural history [microform]. Mammals; Natural history; Mammifères; Sciences naturelles. THE HAMSTER. 561 with air at the pleasure of the animal. The lengtli of the adidt Hamster is about fifteen iiu'lics, the tail l>oiii' only three inches loiijr. The Hamster is most destructive to the crops, whether of corn, peas or beans and when the autumn approaclies, besins to plunder the fields in a most systematic manner for the purpose of nying up a winter store of provisions. By dint of dexterous manafie- iiicnt, the animal iills its cheek-pouches with grain, pressing it firmly with its paw* so as t(, lose no space, and then carries off its plunder to its subterranean treasury where it disgorges the contents of the pouches, niid returns for another su])ply. The are so well aware ot this proi)ensity that they search after the habitation of the Hamster niter the harvest is over, and often recover considera!)le quantities of the stolen grain Tlie destructive capability of the animal may be gathered from the fact that a sinr^le Hamster has been known to hoard no less than sixty pounds of corn in its home while a liundredweightot beans have been recovered from tlie storehouses of another specimen lie skin of the Hamster is of some value in commerce, so that the hunters make a .Iniible use of a successful chase, for they not only recover the stolen property of the iignculturist, but gam some jirofit bv selling the skins. HAMSTER.—C'fiCfdis/riiiHtii/H/iKs. The burrow of the Hamster is a most complicated afiair, and not very easy to describe I'-ach individual has a separate burrow, and not even in the breeding season do the male and temale inhabit the same domicile. At some depth below the surface of the earth are scNornl rather large chambers, communicating with each other by horizontal passages, 111 one ot these chambers the creature lives, and in the others it places its store oi 1 provision. 1 here are at least two entrances to each burrow, o
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectmammals, booksubjectnaturalhistory
