. The naturalist's library : containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects . ver lives in houses, isseldom to be found in gardens, but chiefly frequents the woods, where itfinds a shelter in tlie hollow of some old tree. The species is by no means numerous, yet they seem to be tolerably com-mon in Italy, and to be not unknown even in the northern climates; but itJoes not appear to be an English animal; for Ray, who had seen it in Italy,observes, that the small dormouse which is found in England, is not red uponthe back, like the Italian,
. The naturalist's library : containing scientific and popular descriptions of man, quadrupeds, birds, fishes, reptiles and insects . ver lives in houses, isseldom to be found in gardens, but chiefly frequents the woods, where itfinds a shelter in tlie hollow of some old tree. The species is by no means numerous, yet they seem to be tolerably com-mon in Italy, and to be not unknown even in the northern climates; but itJoes not appear to be an English animal; for Ray, who had seen it in Italy,observes, that the small dormouse which is found in England, is not red uponthe back, like the Italian, and that it probably belongs to another species. The dormouse becomes torpid by the cold, and roll^ itself up in a ball; itrevives in mild weather, and hoards up nuts and other dry fruits, for futuresustenance. It forms its nest in trees, like the squirrel, though generally ina lower situation, among the branches of a nut tree, m a bush, &c. Thenest is composed of interwoven moss, leaves, and grass ; is about si» inchesin diameter; has no aperture but at the top, and contains three or foury»>ung ones. THE NORWAY ^::^^^jS£^^--^ This well known animal came originally from Persia or India, and wasnot known in England, previous to 1730. It is now naturalized in all thecountries of Europe and America. Mijoxus avellanarius, Desm. 2 Mus decmnamts, Desm. The genus Mus has two upper and two lower incisors ;canines, none; molars, three above and three below, on eacti side. Molars with tubercu-lous crowns; four toes, and rudimentary thumb on the fore feet; hind feet with fourunt^uiculaled toes; ears oblong or round, naked ; tail long, naked, and scaly; lur withscattered hairs, longer and stiifer than the others, sometimes forraiiig a kind of spines. 238 MAMMALIA—RAT. It has a reddish skin, a long tail, the backbone arched like that of thesquirrel, the body much thicker, and whiskers like those of a cat. It isabout nine inches long, and has a tail of the same length as the
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Keywords: ., bookauthordwightjonathan185, bookcentury1800, booksubjectzoology
