Of all the species of the rat, the dormouse (_fig. 90._) is the least
ugly. It has brilliant eyes, and a full tail, which is rather white
than red. It never lives in houses, and seldom in gardens, but like the
loir, chiefly frequents the woods, and shelters itself in the hollows
of old trees. This species is by no means so numerous as that of the
lerot. The dormice are always found alone in their several holes, and
I had much difficulty to procure a few of them; they however, seem to
be pretty common in Italy, and not unknown in the northern climates,
since they are comprised by Linnæus in his list of Swedish animals; but
they do not appear to exist in England, for Mr. Ray in his Synopsis,
who had seen it in Italy, says the small dormouse found in England is
not red on the back like the Italian muscardin, and that it probably
belongs to a different species. In France it is the same as in Italy,
and is justly described by Aldrovandus in his History of Quadrupeds;
but he adds there are two species in Italy, one of which is scarce, and
has the smell of musk, the other more general without any particular
odour, and that at Bologna they are both called _muscardino_ from their
resemblance in figure and size. Of these two species we only know the
latter, as the dormice of France have no smell either good or bad. Its
flesh, however, is unfit to eat, and it never becomes so fat as the
loir.
The dormouse becomes torpid with cold and revives in mild weather, and
like the loir and lerot hoards up nuts and other dry fruits. It forms
its nest upon trees, like the squirrel, though generally lower among
the branches of nut-trees, and underwood; the nest is made of herbs
interwoven, is about six inches in diameter and is only open at the
top. Many countrymen have assured me that they have found the nests
of dormice in coppices and in hedges, that they were surrounded with
leaves and moss, and that each nest contained three or four young ones.
As soon as they grow up they quit their rests, shelter themselves
in the hollows or under trunks of trees, where they repose, lay up
provisions, and sleep through the winter.