. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. TILE DORMOUSE. 10;. of the shrubs an<l small trees the Dormice climb with woiulerful adroitness, often, indeed, hanging b)- their hind feet from a twig in order to reach and operate on a fruit or a nut whicli is otherwise iuacoes- siljle, and running along the lower surface of a branch with the activity and certainty of a Monkey. Detached articles of food are held up to the mouth by the fore paws, after the fashion of a Squii-rel. Towards the winter the Dormouse becomes exceedingly fat, and having collected a small store of food, makes
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. TILE DORMOUSE. 10;. of the shrubs an<l small trees the Dormice climb with woiulerful adroitness, often, indeed, hanging b)- their hind feet from a twig in order to reach and operate on a fruit or a nut whicli is otherwise iuacoes- siljle, and running along the lower surface of a branch with the activity and certainty of a Monkey. Detached articles of food are held up to the mouth by the fore paws, after the fashion of a Squii-rel. Towards the winter the Dormouse becomes exceedingly fat, and having collected a small store of food, makes for itself a little globular nest, composed of small twigs, leaves, pine-needles, moss, and grass, and within this, coiled up into a ball, passes into a torpid state. Nevertheless, the winter sleep is not wholly uninterrupted; on mild days the Dormouse wakes up for a time and takes a little of its stored-up food. The female produces usually about four young, in the spring according to Professor Bell, in August according to Brehm ; but the fonuer writer thinks that in some cases two broods are produced rn the year, as he has received from the same locality in September a Lalf-gi'owu Dormouse and three very young ones, evidently not more than a fortnight or three weeks old. Of the other common European species, the Loir {Mi/oxus glis) is found only in southern regions, its range extending from Spain to Southern Russia, and j)assing into the neiglibouring parts of Asia. It is considerably larger than the Dormouse, measuring rather more than six inches in. iGARDEN UOUMOUSE, length, and has a bushy tail, in which the hairs are arranged in two I'ows, as in that of the Squirrel. The habits of this species are like those of the Dormouse. Fruit constitutes a portion of its diet, and it is said also to destroy and devour small birds and other animals. The Loir is a very voracious feeder, and becomes exceedingly fat in the autumn. By the ancient Roman epicures it was regarded as a dainty
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