“The hamster abounds in central Europe, notably in Alsace. It is also called the Strasbourg marmot or rye pig. It is almost as large as the black rat, but is more stocky. Its tail is short and hairy, its fur red on the back, black under the belly, with yellowish spots on the flanks, a white spot on the throat, and another on each shoulder. “Hamsters live on roots, fruit, and especially cereals, of which they store up a large supply. Each animal digs a burrow composed of several rooms, the largest of which is used as a granary. There they store rye and wheat, beans and peas, vetch and linseed. The hamster hoards like a miser, laying up far more than it will ever need, simply for the satisfaction of hoarding. In some of its store-rooms as much as two hundredweight of provisions may be found. What can a creature no bigger than your fist do with all these supplies? Winter comes, and the hamster shuts itself up in its underground quarters, assured of food and lodging, and grows big and fat. If the cold is very severe it goes to sleep like the marmot.” “And what about the two hundredweight of grain collected, a kernel at a time?” queried Emile. “The whole supply simply spoils and is so much waste; but little does the hamster care; he begins all over again the next year. The animal’s special business is, first and foremost, to ravage fields, as is proved by the pile of grain it stores up, out of all proportion to its needs. It hoards food to destroy it, far more than to be sure of something to eat, being very different in this way from most hibernating animals. In the midst of all its stores of food, if the winter is very cold, it is overtaken by the same torpor that saves the hedgehog and the bat from death by starvation. This miser has not even the excuse of want. Happy are those regions that it does not rob! Let us pass on to other rodents.” “There are, then, still more of these greedy animals?” Jules inquired. “Yes; they are somewhat like insects: after they are all gone there are still some left. The world seems to be a pasture delivered over to the mandibles of larvæ and the incisors of rodents. “Dormice, of many varieties, live in the woods and orchards and eat fruit. These rodents have the agility, elegance of form, and rich fur of squirrels. They make their home in hollow tree trunks, holes in walls, and crannies in rocks. During the winter, when fruit is lacking, they remain in a deep sleep.