The Hamster (_fig. 170._) is the most famous and the most destructive
rat that exists. The reason why we did not give its history among the
other rats was because, at that time we had not been able to procure
one of them; and we are now indebted for the knowledge we have acquired
of it to the Marquis de Montmirail and M. de Waitz, who has sent us two
living hamsters with an instructive memoir on their manners and natural
habits. We fed one of these animals for many months, for the purpose of
examining it with attention, and afterwards dissected it, in order to
compare its internal structure with that of other rats, and observed,
that in its interior parts it resembled more the water rat than any
other animal; it resembled him also by the smallness of its eyes and
the fineness of its hair; but its tail, instead of being long, is much
shorter than that of the short-tailed field mouse, which, as we have
already observed, greatly resembles the water-rat in its internal
conformation. All these animals live under the earth, and seem to be
animated with the same instinct. They have nearly the same habits, and
particularly that of collecting corn, &c. and making great magazines in
their holes: we shall, therefore, dwell much less on the resemblances
of shape and dispositions, than upon differences which distinguished
the hamster from all the other rats and mice, and field-mice, we have
already spoken of.
Agricola is the first author who has given precise and particular
indications of this animal. Fabricius added several facts, but
Schwenckfeld has done more than all the rest; he dissected the hamster,
and gave a description of it, which agrees almost entirely with ours;
notwithstanding which he has not been quoted by naturalists of a more
modern date, who have been contented with copying Gesner; and yet it is
but justice to that author to remark, his observations are so full and
correct, that by subjoining those of M. de Waitz we have whatever can
be wished for on the subject of this animal.
"The habitations of the hamsters are of different constructions,
according to the sex and age, and also according to the quality of the
land. That of the male has an oblique passage, at the entrance of
which is a quantity of earth thrown up. At a distance from the entrance
there is a hole which descends perpendicularly into the chambers, or
cavities of the habitation. There is no hillock of earth near this
hole, which makes it probable that the oblique entrance is made hollow
from the outside, and that the perpendicular hole is worked within-side
from the bottom to the top.
"The habitation of the female has also an oblique passage, with two,
three, and even eight perpendicular holes, by which the young ones may
come in and go out. The male and female have each a separate abode, and
the female's is deeper than that of the male.
"Both male and female burrow in the earth, at one or two feet distance
from the perpendicular holes; and according to their age, and in
proportion as they multiply, they form one, two, or three particular
cavities, in form of vaults, as well above as below, and which are more
or less spacious, according to the quantity of their provisions.
"The perpendicular hole is the common passage by which they go in and
out, and by the oblique one they throw out the earth which they scratch
up. This passage also has a gentle declivity into some of the cavities,
and a more steep one in others, which serves for a free circulation
of air in their subterraneous habitations. The cavity where the female
brings forth her young contains no provision, but is only a nest formed
of straw and herbs. The depth of the cavities is very different. The
young hamster in his first year makes its burrow only a foot deep,
while the old animals often dig to the depth of four or five feet:
all the cavities communicate together in one habitation, and which is
sometimes from eight to ten feet diameter.
"These animals store their magazines with dry clover, corn in the ear,
and beans and peas in their pods; having separated they carry out the
husks and pods by the oblique passage. They commonly begin to get in
their winter store about the end of August, and which they convey to
their habitations in a pouch they have in their cheeks.
"When the hamster has filled his magazines he covers them over, and
carefully shuts all the avenues to them with earth: this precaution
renders the discovery of these animals very difficult, and the heaps of
earth which they throw up before the oblique passage are the only marks
to trace their habitations. The most usual method of making them is by
digging them out of their holes, which is attended with much trouble,
on account of the depth and extent of their burrows. However, a man
versed in this business commonly effects his purpose with good success
and profit, for in autumn he seldom fails of finding two bushels of
good corn in each habitation, and the fur of these animals is valuable.
The hamsters bring forth two or three times in a year, and seldom
less than five or six. Some years there are great numbers of them to
be seen, and in others scarcely any to be met with. They multiply
considerably when the seasons are wet, which causes a great scarcity of
grain by the immense devastations they make.
"The hamster begins to burrow at the age of six weeks or two months;
but they never copulate in the first year.
"The pole-cat is a great enemy to the hamsters, which he destroys in
great numbers, and even takes possession of their holes.
"The back of the hamster is commonly brown, and the belly white; there
are some, however, of a grey colour, and this difference may proceed
from their age; besides these, others are met with entirely black."
The hamsters destroy each other like field-mice; two of them being
put into the same cage, the female killed the male in the night, and
having divided the muscles that held the jaws together, she devoured
great part of his viscera. There are great numbers produced in one
year, and are so destructive that in some parts of Germany a reward is
fixed on their heads. They are indeed so numerous there that their fur
is an important article of commerce.
All these circumstances, which we have extracted from the Memoir of
M. de Waitz, and the observations of M. de Montmirail, appear to be
true, and agree with what we have learnt from other quarters on this
subject; but it is not so certain, as mentioned in the same Memoir,
that these animals are dormant the whole winter, and recover in spring.
The hamster, which we kept during the winter of 1762-3, in a chamber
without any fire, and where the cold was intense enough to freeze
water, did not become torpid, but moved about, and ate as usual; while
the dormice which we had alive were benumbed with a much less degree
of cold. Therefore the hamster has not any affinity with the marmot
or dormice in this respect; and it is very improperly denominated the
_Strasburgh marmot_ by some of our naturalists, since it does not sleep
like the marmot, and is not to be found in the vicinity of Strasburgh.