THE PINE MOUSE. 19 



Robert Kennicott's excellent account of this species <" states that in 

 confinement the animals were practically omnivorous, rejecting but 

 little vegetable food offered them. The amount of food consiuned Avas 

 astonishingly great. Three ate in twenty-four hours, besides other 

 food, the germs from all the kernels of a large ear of corn. They ate 

 raw fresh meat and drank much water. 



My own observations of the prairie mouse confirm published 

 .accounts. Near alfalfa fields in Kansas I found that the green leaves 

 of this forage plant were the favorite food. This was made evident 

 by the trails leading to the fields and by carefid stomach examina- 

 tions of individuals captnred. 



In winter the prairie vole sometimes does enormous damage to 

 fruit trees. In this respect it is, if possible, more destructive than 

 the connnon meadow mouse; and as the fruit industry in the West 

 grows in magnitude this species is likely to become still more trouble- 

 some. In Kansas and Missouri, during the winter of 1908—1, many 

 orchards and nurseries were severely injured by the prairie mouse, 

 and during the two following winters the losses were greater rather 

 than less. 



This species comes into contact with agriculture in the major por- 

 tion of eight States lying in the humid section of the central Missis- 

 sippi Valley. These eight States produce annually more than half 

 the corn, oats, and winter wheat, and more than a third of the hay of 

 the entire United States. Two closely related species of prairie mice 

 {M. hay dent and M. mino?') extend the range of this group on the 

 plains to the west and northwest. Here they are abundant in sections 

 Avhere barley and s})ring wheat are important crops. The possibility 

 of serious crop damages from prairie voles "is, therefore, especially 

 great. 



IJl. THE PINE MOUSE. 

 Mirrohis /ii))('U>nnn xcitloiisDidcs ( Aud. & Bach.). (Plate I. ti^. L'.) 



This pine mouse, called also the mole-like vole, has a Avider distri- 

 bution tlian the typical southern pine mouse (J/, pmetornm,), and 

 therefore is chosen as the representative of the grou]). The following 

 account of its habits applies ('(jually well to all pine mice. 



'Jliis auimal has the wide, flat skull, the short tail, the small ears, 

 and the short, dense, glossy brown fur characteristic of all the pine 

 mice. The colors, however, are less glossy and the size somewhat 

 larger than in typical J/, pinetoruni. The claws are well developed; 

 foot pads 5; mannna' 4 {'I pairs of inguinal). Tlie average measure- 

 ments of three New ^ Ork spe(;imens, as gi\cii by Bailey, are as fol- 



" The Quadrupeds <i| Illinois Iniurioiis and IW-iiclicial to the Farmer. Patent 

 Oftico Report: Agriculture, 18.5(5, i)p. !)7-102, 1857. 



