THE MICE— MICE PROPER. 



337 



the feet and toes being white; the line of demarca- 

 tion between the two colors is sharply defined. 



Both the foregoing species may be easily distin- 

 guished from the third mentioned (the Old World 

 Meadow Mouse) by the much longer ears. In the 

 latter species the ear attains a size equaling only 

 about one-third of the head and, if deflected forward 

 and folded against the sides of the head, they do not 

 reach the eyes, while the ears of the others attain 



THE COMMON MOUSE. These little animals which hav 



lowed Man all over the globe are pretty, but pestiferous, and are well 

 known to all. Those in the picture are in mischief, as usual, and will 

 make short work of the piece of candle which attracts their attention. 

 [Mus musculus.) 



half the length of the head and reach the eye if 

 pressed, in the manner described, to the sides of the 

 head. 



The Old World The Old World Meadow Mouse 

 Meadow (Mus agrarius) is seven inches long; 



Mouse. the tail three inches. Its fur is tri- 



colored: the upper part of the body is brownish 

 red, diversified on the back with black longitudinal 

 stripes; the sharply defined color of the under sur- 

 face and feet is white. The tail has about one hun- 

 dred and twenty scaly dermal rings. 



Similarity of All these species of Mice display 

 Tastes and Habits many common characteristics in 



Among Mice. their selection of haunts, their dis- 

 position and their habits, though each may have its 

 individual peculiarities. All three agree in one 

 respect : they show a great predilection for the 

 proximity of human beings, at least at certain inter- 

 vals. All species, the Common Mouse oftener than 

 the others, are, especially in winter, frequently found 

 in all portions of houses, from the cellar to the gar- 

 ret. None of them is exclusively confined to the 

 localities which its name would indicate as its 

 abode ; the Wood Mouse temporarily lives in a 

 barn or a house as well as in the field, and the 

 Meadow Mouse is as little confined to fields as the 



Common Mouse to houses, so that one may occasion- 

 ally see all three species together. 

 Range and Char- The Common Mouse is said to have 

 acteristics of the been the most tenacious compan- 

 Common Mouse. j on f Man from the earliest ages. 

 Aristotle and Pliny mention it and Albertus Magnus 

 was familiar with it. At present it is distributed all 

 over the globe. It has followed Man in his migra- 

 tions to the farthest north and to the highest cot- 

 tages on the Alps. There are but few localities at 

 present from which it is absent, and even where it is 

 supposed to be wanting, the supposition is probably 

 founded on the fact that it has escaped observation. 

 On the Sunda Islands, for instance, it is said that 

 there are no Mice, but their advent even there is 

 but a matter of time. 



The Mouse takes up its abode in all parts of a 



human dwelling. In the country it may temporarily 



live in a garden or in a field or grove; in the city it 



confines itself to dwellings and outhouses. Every 



crevice, every hole, in a word, every cranny where it 



can hide, affords it sufficient shelter and a base of 



operations from which it sallies forth on its forays. 



Physical It runs with great rapidity, climbs 



Powers of the remarkably well, jumps considerable 



Mouse. distances and sometimes performs 



journeys of no small magnitude, proceeding on its 



way by a series of short leaps. How agile it is in 



THE BARBARY MOUSE. This sped. 



of northern Africa, is larger than the Common Mouse, but smaller than the 

 Rats. Its principal distinction is in the markings of whitish-yellow stripes 

 on a dark brown ground color, becoming lighter on the under portion than 

 on the back. (Mus barbarus.) 



all its movements can be seen by observing a tame 

 Mouse. Even when it sits quiet, it produces the 

 pleasing impression on the mind always awakened 

 by the sight of a pretty animal; but when it sits on 

 its haunches, Rodent fashion, and washes and dresses 

 its fur, it is a really fascinating little creature. It 

 can stand up on its hind legs, like a human being, 



