MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 179 



A mouse provisionally referred to this species was abundant, espe- 

 cially at certain localities. At my first camp, about twenty-five miles 

 above Jacksonville (near Hibernia), an Hcsperomys and the wood rat 

 (Neotoma fioridand) were excessively numerous. At eveuing they 

 began scampering over the leaves, their little footsteps being •heard 

 in every direction ; at times they approached so near the camp-fire as 

 to be distinctly seen. They ascended the bushes, and could be heard 

 on the lower branches of the trees. Some of my party being unac- 

 customed to such manifestations of nocturnal life, were at first filled 

 with app:"ehension as to the character of their visitors, and could 

 scarcely be convinced that the place was not infested with poisonous 

 snakes or other dangerous animals. Depending upon my traps for 

 specimens, which unfortunately for me the mice avoided, I secured but 

 two or three examples of the Hesperomys so abundant here. These, 

 with several others obtained by me elsewhere, as also others obtained 

 on Indian River by Mr. Maynard, including both young and adult, 

 are undistinguishable from the common II. leucopus of the North, the 

 young being deep plumbeous. 



I observed at this place a fact in respect to the habits of the Hes- 

 peromys I had not previously noticed nor seen pointed out, though it 

 was noticed in all the parts of Florida I visited. I refer to its habit of 

 cutting off the branches and main stems of the young saplings. I at 

 first supposed this work to be that of the wood-boring larvae of some 

 coleopterous insect, so nearly did the "pruning" resemble that of the 

 so-called " oak-pruners " (Cerambycidoe sp.). A closer examination, 

 however, showed that, instead of the twigs being smoothly cut, as by a 

 boring insect working from within outwards and severing the bark 

 last, the cutting was begun from without, and that a considerable por- 

 tion of wood had been gnawed away, both the cut surfaces being 

 highest at the middle. Marks of the teeth of these little gnawers 

 were also generally clearly distinguishable. No traces of boring by 

 insect larvae could be detected near the severed point. The branches 

 thus cut are generally of about the size of one's finger, and are usually 

 the main stem of a young sapling. Various species of trees are thus- 

 mutilated ; but as they are usually destitute of fruit, the purpose of 

 these animals in this work is not apparent. It is a habit that may be 

 common to the Hespi >mys of the North, but I have never seen it 

 referred to. These little animals being a hundred-fold more numerous 



