()2 WILD ANIMALS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. 



along the edges of the streams and along the trails in the marshes. 

 In places the surface of little pools will be fomid strewn with grass 

 blades, where the mice have been eating their meals on the margins 

 in exactly the manner of miiskrats. Green vegetation constitutes 

 practically their entire food for the whole year, and seems always 

 to be easily obtained. The mice do not become fat or show any signs 

 of hibernation, and it is probable that in winter their life is just as 

 comfortable as in summer and fraught with less dangers. 



Rocky Mountain Meadow^ Mouse : Micro f us mordax inordax (Mer- 

 riam). — Specimens of these middle-sized, long-tailed meadow mice 

 have been taken at St. Mary Lake, McDermott Lake, Belly River, 

 Summit Station, Java, Belton, and Indian Creek. They are the most 

 abundant and generally distributed meadow mice of the park, from 

 the lowest levels to timberline. Generally they are most abundant 

 along the ])anks of streams, in meadows, and about springs, but often 

 they are found on the open mountain-sides under grassy cover or the 

 drooping leaves of bear grass. Their medium-sized burrows and run- 

 ways are easily found by examining the surface of the ground in 

 almost any meadow or grassy situation, and specimens are readily 

 secured by setting out-of-sight mouse traps across the runways and 

 baiting them w^ith a little rolled oats. They are less aquatic and less 

 adapted to life in the water than the big-footed meadow mice, but are 

 good swimmers and do not hesitate to jump into a creek or river and 

 swim across if frightened or if they wish to visit the other shore. 

 Their thick gray fur is ample protection against both wet and cold, 

 and they often live and seek their food in places that are damp and 

 chilly. 



Their food consists mainly of green vegetation, of which grass 

 stems and seeds form the greater part. Along their runways little 

 heaps of grass stems cut into lengths of 1 or 2 inches may be found 

 where the mice have brought down the seeds and blades within reach 

 by simply cutting the stems in sections, and drawing them down each 

 time until the tops were obtained. The contents of their stomachs 

 usually show nothing but the finely pulverized tissue of green vege- 

 tation. Seeds or grains, however, are very acceptable and readily 

 taken when offered as trap bait. The miae never come into houses 

 and camps, so that their presence in the ])ark can do no harm other 

 than to the grass which they consume in the meadows. 



The four to six young are born in warm, soft grassy nests in the 

 summer burrows and apparently several litters are raised during a 

 season. They have need to multiply rapidly as their enemies are 

 numerous. Hawks and owls, ravens and jays, and weasels, foxes, 

 cats, and coyotes, are always snapping them up as they appear on the 

 surface of the ground. In winter, under the cover of deep snow, they 

 are far safer. When the first soft snows fall they ploAv little tunnels 



