70 The Ohio Naturalist. [Vol. X, No. 4, 



the most complete so far published on a genus of North American 

 mammals, and as the author examined more than 27000 speci- 

 mens in preparing the work we may at once conclude that all 

 matters concerned received full consideration. 



The species has many attractive habits and is seldom injurious 

 so has not received the ill will of man to the extent that many of 

 the other mice have. A variety of food is acceptable and they 

 are sometimes induced to enter buildings to feed but as a usual 

 thing are woodland animals and are found around logs and 

 stumps in such places. It is not uncommon however to come 

 across specimens in fields or along fence rows wherever stumps, 

 piles of rails and various kinds of rubbish are to be found. In 

 the woods thev feed on acorns and nuts and also eat many 

 insects. In the fields they visit grain shocks but this habit seems 

 not to be common like it is in the house mouse and the meadow 

 mouse. 



Until in recent years this has been the only white-footed 

 mouse known in Ohio so it has been easy to make determinations 

 but quite recentlv it has been found that one of the varieties of 

 P. vianiciilatus reaches our territory and matters have become 

 somewhat more complicated. Adult specimens of the species 

 are decidedlv larger than those of the variety of maniculatus but 

 when it comes to the young in gray pelage it is easy to be mis- 

 taken. It is soon observed that when one begins collecting 

 white-footed mice in any locality in the state he soon brings 

 together a large variety of coloration ;. not many distinct colors 

 but specimens with grays and browns variously distributed 

 over the body. This condition is almost entirely due to the age 

 of the specimens; the young are gray and the fully adults are 

 yellowish brown above with pure white under parts while 

 specimens in the process of changing from the 3^oung to the 

 adult pelage combine these colors with no apparent regard for 

 system. 



This species appears to care for its young better than other 

 mice and it is not uncommon to observe it undertaking to move 

 these to places of safety when danger threatens. It is a popular 

 species under domesticated conditions readily adapting itself 

 to circumstances. 



Peromyscus maniculatus bairdi (Hoy and Kennicott) Prairie 

 White-footed Mouse. The type locality for P. maniculatus is 

 Labrador and the typical species is confined to that latitude as 

 far west as the Mississippi River, but varieties to the number of 

 thirty-five are recognized and one or more of these are to be 

 found in many localities throughout North America. The 

 variety bairdi was first taken at Bloomington, Illinois but is 

 known at the present time to range from central Kansas 



