268 MAMMALIA 



" In the year 1796, a particular species of Mouse made its appear- 

 ance at Burlington- Bay, on the west end of Lake-Ontario, and at 

 Long-Point, on the north side of Lake-Erie. They came out of the 

 woods, from the northward, in troops of thousands, and committed 

 great havoc among the Indian -corn. 



" These animals were so numerous, that, for a good while, they 

 were caught by hundreds, at a time. It is said, that the cats, tired 

 of killing them, came, at length, to play with them, without offering 

 them any injury. 



" Even in the winter-time, the corn-cribs were extremely offensive, 

 from the great numbers of these mice, that had perished in them. 



" This mouse is described as a small species, smaller than the com- 

 mon House-Mouse ; with a white belly, and a very long tail. The 

 general colour was that of the House-Mouse." 



Hesperomys as a Vocalist. 



Mr. W. O. Hiskey, in a note in the American Naturalist for May, 

 1871 (Vol. V, No. 3, pp. 171-172) states : " I was sitting a few even- 

 ings since, not far from a half-open closet door, when I was startled 

 by a sound issuing from the closet, of such marvellous beauty that I 

 at once asked my wife how Bobbie Burns (our canary) had found his 

 way into the closet, and what could start him to singing such a queer 

 and sweet song in the dark. I procured a light and found it to be a 

 mouse! He had filled an over-shoe from a basket of pop-corn 

 which had been popped and placed in the closet in the morning. 

 Whether this rare collection of food inspired him with song I know 

 not, but I had not the heart to disturb his corn, hoping to hear from 

 him again. Last night his song was renewed. I approached with 

 a subdued light and with great caution, and had the pleasure of see- 

 ing him sitting among his corn and singing his beautiful solo. I 

 observed him without interruption for ten minutes, not over four feet 



* The Philadelphia Medical and Physical Journal, Vol. I, 1804, pp. 3 I ~3 2 - 



