176 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE. 



tie what one fancies, but how." One of 

 the greatest fanciers of the day, Mr. 

 Exelby, won fame all. over Eurooe as an 

 expert grower of certain flowers; as an 

 example of the truth of this quotation 



DR. WOOD REGARDED THIS MOUSE AS AN 

 IDEAL TYPE. 



referred to, Mr. Exelby for diversion 

 took up breeding silver fawn rabbits 

 with which his fame has equalled that of 

 his exhibits of flowers. 



The mouse fancy affords unequalled 

 facilities to the fancier as a field of un- 

 limited possibilities and one in which re- 

 sults are quickly obtained with a mini- 

 mum of time, space, care, and expense. 



During the year 1895, a few English- 

 men organized what is still known as The 

 Mouse Club, the purpose being to intro- 

 duce to the public the desirability of the 

 colored mouse as a fancy. 



At this time practically all the known 

 colors of fancy mice were albino, black, 

 fawn, chocolate and the last three more 

 or less broken with white. The results 

 of the work of this club are evident in 

 the great popularity of this fancy in Eng- 

 land and the wide range of colors to 

 which these fanciers breed this attractive 

 little rodent, a list of which colors and 

 markings would fill a quarter page. Some 

 of the rare varieties are, however, worthy 

 of soecial notice to illustrate the wonder- 

 ful diversity of color obtainable. Amongf 



the more delicate and rare shades we 

 have very pale cream, silver and its pale 

 chinchilla tint, blue and tan. silver grey 

 and tortoise-shell. It may safely be 

 stated that there is not a color or variety 

 of markings known to fur-bearing ani- 

 mals which has not or may not be pro- 

 duced in the colored mouse. 



To this susceptibility to the color 

 breeder's art is largely due the increasing 

 popularity of the mouse fancy. Another 

 feature which adds interest to the care of 

 these little pets is expressed in the 

 phrase, "there is something doing," all 

 the time. 



The fancier is not restricted as to the 

 breeding season nor obliged to wait for 

 months or even years to see the result 

 of matings, while if he has erred in 

 judgment in such matings the whole 

 season's work is not lost thereby. 



For breeding mice, a pen should con- 

 sist of one buck and three does. Cages 

 should be provided six by eight by 

 twelve, best made of wood with sliding 

 bottom and window opening in front 

 hinged to a strip an inch and a half 

 wide from the floor up ; this prevents 

 scattering nest material out of the cage. 

 A tin pan for bread and a small glass 

 dish for water constitute the house fur- 

 nishine r s. 



One daily feeding is all that is re- 

 quired, and should be of bread soaked 

 in water to remove the yeast and then 

 squeezed dry as possible, a little water in 



ONE OF DR. WOOD'S FAVORITE 

 SPECIMENS. 



a cup and a teaspoonful of mixed hulled 

 oats and canary seed per mouse. 



Few fanciers use any nest box in the 

 cages, as the female (doe) builds a very 

 compact nest out of chewed bits of 

 paper and grass, usually with an open- 

 ing in the side like the nest of the oven 



