498 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



Richardson writes^ concerning the food habits of the form 

 that he found of general distribution In the north: "It has a 

 habit of making hoards of grain or httle pieces of fat, which 

 I beUeve Is unknown to the European domestic Mouse; and 

 what Is most singular, these hoards are not formed in the 

 animal's retreats, but generally In a shoe left at the bedside, 

 the pocket of a coat, a night-cap, a bag hung against the 

 wall, or some similar place. It not infrequently happened 

 that we found barley, which had been brought from a distant 

 apartment and Introduced Into a drawer, through so small a 

 chink that It was Impossible for the Mouse to gain access to 

 Its store. The quantity laid up In a single night nearly equal- 

 ling the bulk of the Mouse renders It possible that several 

 individuals unite in their efforts to form it." 



ECO- In its native woods It is a harmless or even beneficial 



NOMIC ... . 11' 1 • 



VALUE Species, destroymg many noxious weeds and insects; but in 

 storehouses, where sometimes It takes up its abode, it does 

 a good deal of mischief by gnawing holes in bags to get at the 

 supplies. However, Its numbers are never very great, so that 

 the loss It causes is always very small. 



ENE- The owls, the smaller Weasels, the Short-tailed Shrew, 



the Striped-gopher, the Lynx, the Fox, and the hawks are 

 perhaps the worst enemies of this species, and are here given 

 In order of virulence. From the owls, Lynx, Fox, and hawks 

 its escape Is Indoors or even underground, and to baffle the 

 others I suppose It can at best slam the door In their faces by 

 plugging the hole behind it. No doubt when the ogre goes off 

 with Its babies It rejoices In Its own escape, forgets Its sorrow, 

 and speedily consoles itself with a new family. 



^ F. B. A., 1829, I, pp. 142-3. 



MIES 



