Teacher's Leaflet. 



539 



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have been mown in the summer. It builds its nest in burrows underground and, 

 unhke the true mice, it passes the winter in a dormant condition in its nest. 



References: Claws and Hoofs. Ch. XI. American Animals, pp. 102, 112, 131, 

 138; Secrets of the Woods, p. i. Wild Life, Ch. X. 



LESSON CV. 



MICE TRACKS. 



Purpose. — To familiarize the pupils with the habits of the wild 

 mice in winter. 



This must be field work accomplished by the pupils independently, 

 and the results given in written or oral reports to 

 the teacher. After a light snow has fallen, an early 

 trip across meadows, along road sides and in fence 

 corners will reveal to the observers many of these 

 mouse trails. Note that the mouse usually bounds 

 along, like a squirrel, and this makes a track in 

 which the large, long prints of the hind feet are 

 ahead of and outside of the smaller prints of the 

 front feet. The tail dragging behind leaves a faint, 

 broken line between the foot prints, almost continu- 

 ous when the mouse proceeds leisurely, but with a 

 distinct mark at each bound when the mouse is 

 going rapidly. Have the pupils measure carefully 

 and put in their note books (a) the width of the 

 track; (b) the distance between the prints of the 

 two hind feet. Ask them to follow the trail and 

 try to interpret from it the story of the wanderings 

 of the mouse, whether it found anything to eat or not, and whether it 

 was followed by some enemy. If the snow is more than three inches 

 deep, the trail will be a furrow, and may often be a burrow beneath 

 the snow. 





Track of the meadow or 

 field mouse. 



The Bow Trap. i. A Smootli splint or a peeled tzvig. 2. Splint bowed and tied at 

 D, the bait inserted at C. 3. The inverted bozvl balanced on splint bozv. 



LESSON CVL 



TRAPPING FIELD MICE. 



Purpose. — To teach the pupils how to trap humanely, and through 

 the use of traps to identify the different species of field mice. 



