134 The Ottawa Naturalist. [Jan. 



find, in which the slayer was concealed. At this time the ground 

 was frozen to a depth of six inches and all exits were closed. 

 Of the three winter stores examined, No. 1 contained about 

 three-quarters of a pint of the following seeds: Green Fox- 

 tail, Setaria viridis, 66 per cent.; Bugseed, Corispermum 

 hyssopifolium, 34 per cent., both plants being abundant in 

 the vicinity. Nos. 2 and 3 were close together and contained 

 in all about the same quantity of seeds as No. 1, made up 

 of Wild Buckwheat, Polygonum convolvulus, 48 per cent., 

 Panicuni ivilcoxiannm, 30 per cent.. Blue-eyed Grass, 

 Sisyrinchium angustifolium, 4 per cent., and Lithospernium 

 angustijolium, 18 per cent. Green Foxtail, Wild Buckwheat 

 and Bugseed are all weeds, the first two causing much loss to 

 fanners by starving out various crops, while the other three are 

 wild prairie plants of small economic significance. 



None of the cultivated seeds occurred in these mouse's 

 homes, nor in their pockets, but I have twice discovered locust 

 eggs in the latter and have besides, observed manv places where 

 locust eggs had evidently been dug out of the ground. As a 

 matter of fact, I believe that further evidence will show that 

 these pocket mice live very largely upon insects during ths 

 summer months. One I kept in captivity preferred meal worms, 

 {Tenehrio nioliior) to any seeds, but when the latter were alone 

 available it selected Green Foxtail and Wild Buckwheat in 

 preference to cereals. Lamb's Quarters, Redroot, Tumble Weed 

 and Cycloloma. 



From the evidence depicted above it would seem that the 

 Banded Pocket Mouse does little harm, while on the other hand 

 the consumption of weed seeds, combined with the destruction 

 of noxious insects speaks wholly in the mouse's favour. It 

 would appear, therefore, that unlike most rodents, we have here 

 an example that is useful and' it is a pleasure to me to believe 

 that this pretty little animal is worthy of protection. 



THE NEW ZEALAND PERIPATUS. 



By Professor Edward E. Prince, 

 Dominion Commissioner of Fisheries, Ottawa. 



During my recent visit to New Zealand for the purpose of 

 making an official survey of the fishery resources of that Do- 

 minion, I spent a day in the dense, almost tropical forest, so 

 characteristic of beautiful Maoriland, with the object of seeing, 

 in its native haunts, that wonderful yet insignificant little 

 creature, Peripatus, about which almost a whole library of 



