destroying Rats, is an albino, probably of the Asiatic Polecat (_M.
eversmanni_), with yellowish-white fur and red eyes. Its employment
in hunting ground-game dates back certainly as far as to the Romans,
as evidenced by references in Pliny's Natural History. When all the
exits but one from a Rabbit "bury" have been netted, the Ferret,
properly muzzled, is turned into the one left open, and quickly drives
out all the occupants into the nets. In similar fashion Rats are
driven out of their holes to have their backs promptly broken by
terriers in waiting. Dark coloured Ferrets are known as Polecat
Ferrets, and appear to be hybrids between the Ferret and the ordinary
Polecat.
*Wild Cat* (_Felis silvestris_, Schreber).
When in England or Ireland we talk with keepers or other woodland folk,
and they happen to mention Wild Cats, let it be understood always that
_their_ wild cat is a domestic pussy that has tired of the soft indoor
life and become feral. Such cats are a terror to the gamekeeper on
account of their destruction of young pheasants, hares and rabbits,
and the tails of many of them ornament his gibbets.
To have even a slight chance of seeing the real British Wild Cat to-day,
we must seek it in North Wales, or preferably the north or north-west
of Scotland, its present restricted area in that country having as its
eastern boundary the Caledonian Canal. It inhabits the most lonely
and inaccessible mountain sides, hiding during the day in some rocky
fastness, prowling far and wide at night in search of prey. It is of
a general yellowish-grey colour, but individuals differ in their dark
brown markings, some having vertical stripes running down the sides from
a black longitudinal line down the middle of the back; in others these
are broken up to form spots. It has a squarish thick head and body, the
latter longer than in the Domestic Cat; but the thick bushy tail is
relatively shorter, ringed and ending in a long black brush. The limbs,
too, are longer than those of the tame cat, so that it stands higher. A
pair of dark stripes extend from the eyes and over the head to behind
the ears. The fur is long, soft and thick. The pads of the toes are not
quite black. The average length is about two feet nine inches, of which
the tail accounts for eleven inches; but there is a record of a Scottish
example measuring three feet nine inches in all.
Pennant (1776) says: "This animal may be called the British tiger; it is
the fiercest, and most destructive beast we have; making dreadful havoke
among our poultry, lambs and kids." C. St. John, nearer to our own time
(1845), says its strength and ferocity when hard pressed are perfectly
astonishing. Fully acquainted as he was with the wild life of the
more remote parts of Scotland, he adds: "I have heard their wild and
unearthly cry echo far in the quiet night as they answer and call to
each other. I do not know a more harsh and unpleasant cry than that
of the Wild Cat, or one more likely to be the origin of superstitious
fears in the mind of an ignorant Highlander." He describes how one day
whilst fishing in Sutherland, and having to climb over rocks to get
from one pool to another, he had a close personal encounter with one.
[Illustration: _Pl. 50._ _F 76._
*Squirrel's way with nuts.*
Empty shells showing the neat work of the incisor teeth.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 51._ _F 77._
*Grey Squirrel.*
Sciurus cinereus.]
"In doing so, I sank through some rotten heather and moss up to my
knees, almost upon a Wild Cat, who was concealed under it. I was
quite as much startled as the animal herself could be, when I saw the
wild-looking beast so unexpectedly rush out from between my feet, with
every hair of her body standing on end, making her look twice as large
as she really was." Pursued by his three Skye terriers "she took refuge
in a corner of the rocks, where, perched in a kind of recess out of
reach of her enemies, she stood with her hair bristled out, and spitting
and growling like a common cat. Having no weapon with me, I laid down my
rod, cut a good-sized stick, and proceeded to dislodge her. As soon as
I was within six or seven feet of the place, she sprang straight at my
face over the dogs' heads. Had I not struck her in mid-air as she leaped
at me, I should probably have got some severe wound. As it was she fell
with her back half broken amongst the dogs, who, with my assistance,
despatched her. I never saw an animal fight so desperately, or one which
was so difficult to kill. If a tame cat has nine lives, a Wild Cat must
have a dozen."
The female makes a nest in some remote rock-cleft or hollow tree, where
in early summer she usually brings forth four or five kittens, which at
an early age spit angrily at any intruder.
The distribution of the Wild Cat includes Europe and Northern Asia to
the North Himalaya. Though formerly a beast of chase in England, it
appears never to have been a native of Ireland. Old English names for
it were Catamount and Cat-a-mountain.
Dental formula: _i 3/3, c 1/1, p 3/2, m 1/1 = 30_.
GNAWING ANIMALS: RABBIT, HARES, DORMOUSE, VOLES, MICE, RATS, AND
SQUIRRELS
*Squirrel* (_Sciurus vulgaris_, Linn.).
With the beautiful Squirrel, the most popular of all our native fauna,
we make the acquaintance of another order of animals, the Rodentia or
gnawing mammals, which is the most numerously represented of the orders
in our meagre list, Britain still possessing fifteen species of rodents.
Besides the Squirrel, the order Rodentia includes the Dormouse, the
Rats, Mice, and Voles, the Hares and Rabbit; and the characteristic
feature that brings them together is the chisel-like pattern of their
incisor teeth. (See Introduction.) They may be said to be the dominant
race of mammals in the present day, for whilst over a thousand species
are known to science, and these mostly of very wide geographical range,
there are vast and increasing numbers of individuals representing many
of the species. Whilst man is busy killing off the carnivora and the
birds of prey, these natural checks to the multiplication of the Rodents
are being missed seriously, and Rats, Hamsters, and Voles prove a
serious menace to man's agricultural produce, and the Rat to his health
owing to its instrumentality as a carrier of disease.
A distinctive character of the Rodents, additional to the chisel-teeth
and the absence of canines, is the possession of hairy linings to the
mouth, the external skin being continued into the sides of the mouth
behind the upper front teeth. In the Hares and Rabbits the whole of the
inside of the cheeks is covered with hair.
Very few of the Rodents are aquatic in their habits, and of these few
the Water Vole is the only British representative. Most of them are
burrowing animals, and excavate long runs and nesting places in the
earth; a few, like the Squirrels and Dormice, are arboreal. As a whole
the Rodents may be said to be vegetarians; but the Rats are omnivorous,
and the Water Vole though mainly herbivorous takes a little animal food.
The Squirrel is one of the most picturesque of our small mammals,
especially when seen sitting on his haunches on a tree branch, his plumy
tail curled up his back, his tufted ears erect, and his forepaws holding
a nut; or when making his prodigious leap from bough to bough. He is not
nearly so big a creature as he looks under these conditions, for if we
could pass the tape over him from the end of his snout to the tip of
his tail proper (that is, not including the hairs that extend beyond
the tip), we should find he only measures about fifteen and a half
inches, and of this length seven inches, or nearly half, is provided by
the tail. Examine his feet, and you will see that they are adapted
eminently for climbing. The forefeet have four fingers and a rudimentary
thumb, and the hind feet have five toes; the claws long, curved and
sharp-pointed, and the soles hairy. The muzzle is well furnished with
"whiskers," the prominent eyes are black and bright, and the large,
pointed ears bear tufts of long hairs in winter. The hind limbs are much
longer than the forelimbs, and the heel of the long foot touches the
surface upon which it rests. The upper parts and tail are brownish red
and the under parts white. Before winter, when the fur becomes softer
and thicker, a grey tinge is developed on the sides, and the ear-tufts
become longer and bushy; these are shed in the breeding season (early
summer). At times it may be found with the tail of a creamy tint.
One of the Squirrel's strong claims to popular favour is his diurnal
habits, which makes him better known by all who wander in the woods;
in one sense it is a pity it is so, for in the neighbourhood of large
towns the "sporting instinct" of 'Arry has led him to kill or mutilate
the Squirrel with sticks and stones. Not many years ago the numerous
Squirrels that added to the attractions of Richmond Park were shot by
the keepers to prevent 'Arry killing them! Ordinary intelligences
thought it would have been better to have disciplined 'Arry.
The Squirrel builds nests in the branches of the trees it affects, not
merely as nurseries, but for resting places. There may be several of
these in adjacent trees or in the one to which the builder is specially
attached. Some of these may be crows' or magpies' nests adapted for
the new tenants, or may be wholly the Squirrel's work. They are bulky
structures composed of twigs, strips of thin bark, moss, and leaves;
sometimes cup-shaped, others domed. These are usually known as "dreys";
but in parts of Surrey they are "jugs," squaggy-jugs to give them their
full name. The breeding nest is a huge ball (unless there is a roomy
hollow in the trunk that can be upholstered) with a side entrance. Here
in summer the three or four blind and naked young are born, and they
remain with their parents until themselves adult.
[Illustration: *Skeleton of Squirrel.*]
The food of the Squirrel is fairly varied. In pine woods the cones
provide the staple dish, and the ground beneath a Squirrel's tree
will be found littered with chips and cores of the cone from which
the seeds have been extracted. This _débris_ should be looked for as an
unfailing sign that there are Squirrels in the wood. In beech woods they
rely largely on beech-mast, the sharp-edged triangular seeds contained
in the prickly nuts. They usually have a hazel-copse not far distant
whence they derive their favourite food in the autumn, storing up
considerable quantities in holes for use during the winter. Several
times when filling our own pockets with hazel-nuts we have met with
angry protests from a Squirrel who considered the place his own
preserve. Standing on a stout limb just overhead he would stamp his
forefeet and utter a little bark. Similar objection has been made at
times when we were filling our basket with the nutty Blusher Toadstool
(_Amanita rubescens_), of which some of the caps in a clump showed the
marks of the Squirrel's incisors. He is also fond of cherries, wild or
cultivated, and the shoots of Pines which contain the burrowing larvæ of
the Pine Tortrix moth. It is also accused of being so far carnivorous as
to consume bird's eggs and nestlings.
[Illustration: _Pl. 52._ _F 80._
*Nest of Dormouse.*
Mother removing her young.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 53._ _G 81._
*Squirrel.*
Sciurus vulgaris.]
The Squirrel does not hibernate, as it is said by the older writers to
do. In the winter it certainly indulges in long naps; but on a fine day
it wakes up and visits its stores of food. It rarely descends to the
ground, except for the purpose of crossing a wide woodland road, or to
seek water at a stream. In connection with water, it may be said that
the Squirrel is an expert swimmer. Dental formula: _i 1/1, c 0/0, p 0/0,
m 5/4 = 22_.
The Squirrel is generally distributed in Great Britain and Ireland,
where there is sufficient woodland, and in similar situations in Europe
and Asia.
*Grey Squirrel* (_Sciurus cinereus_, Linn.).
In some places in the London district a light grey Squirrel may be
seen, and thought to be a colour variation of our native species. It is
really an American visitor, distinct in colour and without tufts to
the ears. Some years ago the caged specimens in the Zoological Gardens,
Regent's Park, had become so numerous that some of them were given their
liberty. Their numbers increased among the trees of the Gardens, and
they overflowed into the Park, where they became so familiar as to
accept food from the hands of the delighted children. Gradually, some
of them developed exploring tendencies and made their way to the wooded
grounds of suburban residences. British naturalists of a not-distant
future will probably have to include two species of Squirrels in their
lists.
* * * * *
The pretty Chipmunk (_Tamias striatus_, Linn.), or Chipping Squirrel,
one of the Ground Squirrels, is another American species that has become
acclimatised in the London area. It lacks the long tufted ears of our
Squirrel, the tail is shorter, and there are pouches inside the cheeks.
Its general appearance is strikingly different from the Squirrel, for
though its ground colour is red-brown, the eye is set in a white band
divided into two stripes by a black line. A black stripe runs down the
middle of the back, and in addition there is a white stripe bordered by
black above and below along each side.
It feeds on nuts, beech-mast, grain, roots, and insects; migrating from
place to place as local food-supplies become scanty. It stores up food
for the winter like the Squirrel, carrying it to its caches by means of
the cheek-pouches. Though capable of climbing, and occasionally seen
ascending lofty trees, it is much more at home on the ground. It burrows
a retreat in the ground, if no suitable stump is available for
excavation. When startled it utters a cry of "chip-per-r-r."
*Dormouse* (_Muscardinus avellanarius_, Linn.).
The non-scientific observer of our native mammals satisfied himself long
ago that the pretty Dormouse was a miniature kind of Squirrel, and he
was helped to this conclusion by the general resemblance in colouring,
the form of the head, the prominent black eyes, large ears, and thickly
furred long tail; as well as by its arboreal habitat and its habit
of sitting up on its haunches and holding a nut or other food in its
forepaws. But the classifying naturalist has to look below the surface
to discover a sound basis for his work. Superficial resemblances are
often due to similarity of habit and habitat; and in this case the
internal structure of the Dormouse shows that it has closer affinity
with the Mice than with the Squirrels, though really distinct from both.
[Illustration: _Pl. 54A._ _G 82._
Seeking for thistle-seeds.
*Harvest Mice.*]
[Illustration: _Pl. 54B._ _G 82._
Fighting for a wheat-ear.
*Harvest Mice.*]
[Illustration: _Pl. 55._ _G 83._
*Dormouse.*
Muscardinus avellanarius.]
The total length of the Dormouse is about five and a half inches, but
nearly half of this is contributed by the tail. The forelimbs, which
are much shorter than the hind limbs, are furnished with four separate
fingers and a rudimentary thumb; whilst the hind feet have five toes,
though the first of these is short and clawless. All the claws are
short; and on each foot there are six large pads. The fur of the upper
parts is light tawny coloured, and of the underside yellowish-white,
but the throat and adjoining part of the chest is a purer white.
[Illustration: *Skeleton and Molars of Dormouse.*]
In the copse and thick hedgerow where the Dormouse is mostly to be
found, he must be sought after the brightness of day has departed;
for he is a nocturnal beast and spends the hours of sunshine in heavy
slumber. So deep is his somnolence, and so low his temperature, that one
not accustomed to his ways might easily imagine him to be actually dead.
It is not a case of "sleeping with one eye open" with the Dormouse; he
needs, as it were, to be shaken to arouse him. One autumn many years ago
we frequently found the empty shells of cob-nuts in our greenhouse,
and were somewhat puzzled to account for their presence. A thick row
of cob-bushes in our neighbour's garden ran along the back of the
greenhouse, but we never suspected that they were haunted by Dormice.
One day in selecting a flower-pot from a number of empty ones that lay
"nested" one within another a hoard of splendid nuts was found occupying
the available space in several of them. Then a common box mouse-trap was
set, and next morning it contained a plump Dormouse, curled up on its
back with all the appearance of death, and it was lifted out by the tail
without immediately awaking. Four or five were caught in this manner on
successive nights.
For diurnal privacy and comfort the Dormouse constructs a globular nest
of twigs, moss and grass, about three inches in diameter (sometimes
with a circular opening), which may be among the stubs in the coppice,
beneath a tussock of grass, or even suspended high up in the bushes.
The nursery nest is twice this size. In some districts the nest will be
constructed of the bark of old honeysuckle stems, which shreds off in
ribbons. The inner lining is of the same material more finely divided,
with a bed of leaves. Several litters of three or four, or even six or
seven, blind and naked young are born in spring or summer; but there
are also records of young being found in September or October. Having
regard, however, to the hibernating habit of the species it is probable
that these perish, for autumn-born young would scarcely be in fit
condition to go without food for a long period. In their first coat
the young are more grey than red, but gradually assume the adult tint.
There are no scent glands.
The adults have usually retired by the middle of October, by which
date they have prepared for a long sleep by accumulating much fat
beneath their coats, and make further provision by laying up a store
of nuts. The reason for the latter is that the Dormouse's sleep is not
continuous. It wakes up at intervals, has a good meal, and resumes its
sleep. Its activities are not resumed until the spring, so that its
retirement lasts nearly for half the year. Its winter nest is usually
under moss among roots, or far underground. Its sleep is profound,
without breathing, and it becomes absolutely cold.
The food of the Dormouse is much the same as the Squirrel's, but it is
particularly fond of the hazel-nut, a good fat producer, and the "haws"
of the whitethorn. It does not crack the shell of the nut, but gnaws
quite a small hole, extracting the kernel piecemeal. In addition it eats
many insects, and sometimes indulges in birds' eggs or even the birds
themselves, if they can be captured.
The Dormouse is frequently kept as a pet for children, for which its
gentle, fearless manner and non-disposition to bite seem to make it
specially suitable; but we have found it regarded by youngsters as "a
bit of a fraud" in this character, for as they have said, "It doesn't
wake up until we are asleep." We have found that in semi-captivity it
woke on most evenings throughout the winter to enjoy a supper of apples
and nuts. Freshly captured specimens become tame at once. Ours were
fond of climbing the long window curtains and hunting for flies--for
the Dormouse is insectivorous as well as frugivorous. It is not given
to the gnawing of wood, like the true Mice; and it is said to be one
of the creatures that are immune to Viper poison.
The Dormouse is a European animal, but it does not extend northwards
of Sweden. In agreement with this distribution, it does not occur in
Scotland. From Ireland it is entirely absent. Eastward it extends only
to Asia Minor.
The head is comparatively large, with blunt muzzle, prominent eyes,
broadly rounded short ears, and long whiskers. The dentition is much
the same as that of the Squirrel: there is a single large incisor on
each side of the upper and lower jaws, and one premolar and three
molars after a considerable blank: _i 1/1, c 0/0, pm 1/1, m 3/3 = 20_.
The enamel ridges of these cheek-teeth constitute a rasping surface
such as no other mammal possesses.
The soft, dense fur of the Dormouse was of repute anciently as a remedy
for ear diseases and paralysis. The English name can be traced back
certainly to the fifteenth century, and is considered to embody the verb
_dorm_ = to doze, still used in the North of England, which brings it
very close to the Sleepmouse of Southern England and Sleeper of other
parts. Derrymouse, Dorymouse, and Dozing-mouse are other local variants.
Albino varieties are very rare; but individuals with white-tipped tails
are reported not infrequently.
*Harvest Mouse* (_Micromys minutus_, Pallas).
With the exception of the Lesser Shrew the pretty little Harvest Mouse
is the smallest of British mammals. It long held that distinction, until
the Lesser Shrew was shown to be a distinct species and not the young of
the Common Shrew. The Harvest Mouse will always be associated with the
name of Gilbert White, for it was in his letters to Pennant that it was
first made known as a British mouse, and its appearance and habits were
published by Pennant in his "British Zoology."
The head and body combined measure less than two and a half inches,
and the nearly naked, scaly tail is almost as long. The thick, soft
fur of the upper side is yellowish-red in colour, and of the under
parts white; the two colours being rather sharply separated. The tail
is exceedingly pliant and prehensile, and serves as an additional foot,
being at once coiled around any suitable object within reach. It has
bright black eyes, short blunt nose, and short rounded ears, the latter
about one-third the length of the head.
[Illustration: _Pl. 56._ _G 86._
*Harvest Mouse (_enlarged_).*
Micromys minutus.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 57._ _G 87._
*Nest of Harvest Mouse.*
The wonderfully woven ball which serves as nursery.]
It is found chiefly in the South of England, becoming less abundant as
we go north. In Scotland it is very scarce, and it does not occur in
Ireland. It is more generally distributed on the Continent, where it
ranges from Northern Italy to Russia and Siberia. The usual habitats
of the Harvest Mouse are pastures and cornfields, where it climbs the
stems of the tall grasses and corn plants, cutting off the ripe ears
and carrying them to the ground where it picks out the grain. During
the summer it feeds largely upon insects, caught in the same situations.
At the same season it stores up much grain in burrows for use in the
winter between its periods of sleep. Sometimes, however, instead of
wintering in burrows in the earth, it tunnels into hayricks, and if
undisturbed may even bring up a litter or two in the rick; as a rule
it constructs the wonderful nursery which has won human admiration ever
since White made the species known.
This is a ball-shaped nest about three inches in diameter formed of
neatly plaited and woven blades of wheat or grass, with no definite
opening, the grass blades being merely pushed aside to make entrance or
exits where required, and closing again by their own elasticity. There
is just sufficient room inside for the mother-mouse and her blind and
naked offspring, whether they number four, eight, or even nine. This
nest is suspended at some little distance--about half a foot--above
the ground, several stems being incorporated in its walls to give it
stability, or it may be lodged between the stem and leaf of a thistle,
or a knapweed, in blackthorn bushes or broom. The bed is made of split
leaves of corn or grass. The nests are not always so tough as that
described by White, which "was so compact and well-filled that it would
roll across the table without being discomposed, though it contained
eight young." Several litters are produced throughout the year, varying
in the number of young from five to nine; and one might expect that the
species would be represented by individuals as numerous as those of the
House Mouse. It must be remembered, however, that the diurnal habits of
the Harvest Mouse and its methods of feeding expose it to the attacks
of the larger birds; whilst the smaller carnivorous beasts do not
neglect it. When the corn is cut the Harvest Mouse is often carried in
the sheaves to the barn; in that case it spends the winter there, and
does not go to sleep. It is considered that the modern reaping machine
has caused a great reduction in its numbers.