FIELD BOOK OF MAMMALS 



Old and New Worlds, and after a season or two of unusually 

 favorable food conditions the numbers of these Mice may 

 be swelled to an unbelievable extent. Some of the species 

 are very destructive to crops, not only to grain and pastures, 

 but to orchards. Although the Mice are the favorite prey 

 of a host of enemies, they are well able to hold their own or 

 under favorable food conditions to far exceed the normal 

 status. 



Meadow Mice do not hibernate but are active summer 

 and winter. With the meiting of snow in the spring there 

 often is disclosed the traces of activity which went on under 

 the protecting white mantle. 



Genus Lagurus^ 



Very similar to the genus Microtus of which it was formerly 

 a subgenus. Characterized by presence of five plantar 

 tubercles; glands on flanks; very short tail; pale coloration; 

 lax fur. 



Subgenus Lemmiscus 



Short-tailed Meadow Mouse. — Lagurus curtatus curtatus 

 (Cope). 

 "Tail very short; feet hairy; fur long and lax; color pale 

 buffy gray." (Bailey) Upperparts (winter) pale buffy 

 gray to ashy gray; sides paler; ears tinged with buff; feet 

 soiled whitish; tail soiled whitish, with faint dusky dorsal 

 line; underparts silvery white to soiled whitish. Summer 

 pelage slightly darker. Total length, 5.6 inches; tail 

 vertebra, i.i inches; hind foot, .70 inch. Found in "Tran- 

 sition Zone of the low mountain ranges in western Nevada 

 and eastern California east of the Sierra Nevada and north 

 of Death Valley." (Bailey) 



Sagebrush Meadow Mouse. — Lagurus curtatus artemisicE 

 (Anthony). 

 Resembling typical curtatus in color but slightly smaller 

 and differing in cranial characters, Upperparts pale gray 

 lightly washed with brownish on crown and rump; base 

 of tail and lower rump buffy; tail faintly bicolor, above 

 like back, below, buffy white; ears blackish with a few 

 buffy hairs at base; underparts silvery white. Total 

 length, 5.1 inches; tail vertebras, i inch; hind foot, .68 inch. 

 Found on sagebrush plains of Malheur County, Oregon, in 

 Upper Sonoran Zone; limits of range unknown. 



^ See footnote, page 415. 



