606 DISAPPEARANCE OF THE MUS MESSORIUS. 



tures, for they are the most tame, although not the most fami- 

 liar of all the tribe, the Myoxus avellanarius, Desm. not ex- 

 cepted, never attempting to bite eyen when hurt. The next 

 sentence will exhibit them in a different light ; I have known 

 nine individuals of this species kept in confinement together; 

 they were very voracious, eating any thing which was given 

 to them : although plentifully supplied with a variety of food, 

 the horrible little vermin were such cannibals in disposition, 

 as to prefer eating each other, which they actually did till 

 only one remained, the disposition of the creature thus being 

 a striking contrast to its pretty outward exterior, and otherwise 

 docile habits. These little animals seem to have been almost 

 entirely destroyed by the dry summer and autumn of 1836, per- 

 haps the subsequent and following winters may have contri- 

 buted, but with all my endeavours, and searchings, and offered 

 rewards, I had never been able to procure one after, and from 

 every person who I supposed knew any thing about the mat- 

 ter, I received the same sort of answer, that they used to be 

 plentiful, but they had not seen one for two or three years. — 

 This autumn, after incessant trouble, I have succeeded in 

 procuring altogether five, old and young, one of which is now 

 alive, very tame, but mistrustful, eating almost any thing ; it 

 is very fond of a piece of apple, and has no objection to a 

 little bit of meat, preferring most other things to bread. The 

 whole genus of Mus appear to be of sanguine and selfish dis- 

 positions, even the Mus sylvaticus is not exempt from the 

 latter charge. A nest of the Mus sylvaticus, Desm. (field or 

 wood mouse) containing its builder with her progeny, was 

 ploughed out: the man observing the little beast running very 

 heavily and awkwardly, soon overtook and dispatched it, and 

 was surprised to find two young ones clinging so tenaciously 

 to the teats of their dam, as to obstruct her escape, and facili- 

 tate her destruction, nor after the death of their parent could 

 they be removed without some force, demonstrating the affec- 

 tion of the young for the spring of life to be very strong, but 

 the desire of escape in the dam stronger than parental affec- 

 tion. — Joseph Clarke. — Saffron Walden. — Oct, 1839. 



