1100 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



and down, with the most sprightly motions imaginable, they 

 ran, twittering incessantly. Hither and thither they scampered, 

 over my clothing and almost into my pockets, like veritable 

 Lilliputians, seizing now a crumb of cheese, with which my 

 traps were baited, and now a bit of fish fallen from my impro- 

 vised supper table. During the eating the conversation was 

 not interrupted. The little visitors were not bashful about 

 criticising the housekeeping of their host, if their apparent 

 amusement can thus be interpreted, but it was a most good- 

 humoured little party, nevertheless, which thus unceremoniously 

 ransacked my larder. The party increased in numbers and 

 merriment, until I was almost forced to believe myself an unin- 

 vited guest within the magic circle of Queen Mab's domain. 

 I watched with interest the result of their intrusion into the 

 traps which stood about for the capture of any Red-backed 

 Mouse that might invade my camp, but Sorex passed entirely 

 within, and, daintily arching his back, contentedly nibbled the 

 cheese; when the spring rose it usually suffered but a short 

 fright, and returned to finish the interrupted meal. Canned 

 fish seemed to be more acceptable than any other food I had 

 to offer. Tiring of the watching, I again lay down to sleep, 

 during which time elfin voices sounded in my dreams. About 

 midnight one of the little imps sprang across my face in so 

 violent a way as to partially awaken me, and thus, as good 

 fortune had it, I was awake sufiiciently to recognize the mean- 

 ing of a sharp crack overhead, and sprang out of my bed in time 

 to see it occupied by a massive tree trunk which the fire had 

 burned off not far from the ground." 



These tiny creatures run by day as well as by night, and 

 the only apparent use of their rudimentary eyes is to tell them 

 when they are emerging from safe shadow into the open light 

 with its great increase of danger. 



I captured a number of them by making little pitfalls of 

 pickle-jars, sunken level in runways, made by lifting a pole that 

 had long lain in the rank grass, and found that the efficacy of 

 this trap was greatly increased if a raised cover were put over 



