7 



60 



RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



in his vocal powers that rather than leave 

 off in the midst of hi^ piece, he will allow 

 himself to be taken in the hand. 



In captivity the tree-toad makes an in- 

 teresting, thongh noisN" pet. A starch-box 

 containing some damp moss and a small 

 dish of water, and well snpplied with insect 

 life, will render the animal perfectly con- 

 tented, and he will live in health dnring the 

 season. Even in their out-door life, the 

 tree-toads seem to be of a most contented 

 disposition. An individual has been known 

 to remain in a single tree for months at a 

 time, and possibly for successive years. 

 Specimens have been found hibernating in 

 the dead wood at the bottom of hollow trees, 

 and also in the soil among the roots. 



The Rodentia of Rhode Island. 



(Continued.) 



White-footed Mouse ; Deer Mouse ; 



Field Mouse; Hesperomys lecopus (Raf) 



Le Cokte. 



1 HAVE before me ten specimen skins of 

 this small Rhode Island Mouse, the pellage 

 varying from leaden gray with a slight rufus 

 tint along the sides, the under parts and feet 

 white, in a 3'oung specimen taken Nov. 19, 

 1884. to the fidl coloring of adults taken at 

 different seasons, which is a soft yellow brown 

 color above with the back dark, where the 

 hairs are tippe d with a darker shade nearly 

 black, all the under parts, the feet and 

 the under part of the tail, pure white. The 

 average length from nose to tail io three and 

 ■one-half inches, the tail nearly as long as the 

 head and body. The eyes are mild, round 

 and full, standing out prominently from the 

 head. 



I have found this species abundant in the 

 central and eastern part of the state, and 

 as it seems to adapt itself to almost an}" sort 

 of field or woodland, it is probably plenty 

 everywhere. It is a nimble little creature, 

 and the second one I ever caught sought 

 safety by running up a slender tree some 

 twenty feet, and when my companion fol- 

 lowed it jumped boldly off, and verj' nearl}' 

 escaped me. The memory of that large 

 man shinning a tree for one small mouse is 

 now a little amusing. 



Mr. Daniel Seamans caught, May 18, near 



/ 



Rockland, R. I., a fine female, and for two 

 days I had her alive. She allowed any 

 amount of handling, without attempting to 

 bite, and I anticipated much pleasure in 

 studying her habits ; but the following morn- 

 ing she was missing, and the head was 

 eaten from a dead snake that had been left 

 near the cage. Daring captivity she ate 

 freely of crackers, canar^' seed, cheese, 

 meal, and clover. The afore-mentioned in- 

 cident proves also some carnivorous pro- 

 pensities. 



From three to six .young are said to be 

 produced at a birth, at any time from April 

 to November, and there are probably sev- 

 eral litters each season. 



All the nests that I have found were of 

 grass and dead leaves, nearly round and 

 slightly matted, and placed in holes in trees 

 from a foot to five feet above the ground. 

 Dr. Merriam says, that in certain open situa- 

 tions, they excavate chambers in the earth 

 several inches below the surface ; in these 

 various situations they hibernate somewhat 

 irregnlarl}- during the coldest weather. Mr. 

 J. A. Allen, in the Bulletin of the Museum 

 of Comparative Anatomy, says he has found 

 as many as five huddled together in a torpid 

 state, while Dr. Merriam reports them as 

 abroad except during the most severe 

 weather. For their winter needs the}' lay 

 up a large store of seeds. Dr. Merriam 

 says he has removed two quarts of shucked 

 beechnuts from a single hoard. 



It would seem that Hesperomys, like the 

 common House Mouse, sometimes exhibits 

 remarkable vocal powers, a song well con- 

 tinued of considerable compass and very soft 

 and clear. In the American Naturalist, 

 May, 1871, and December, 1871, are two in- 

 teresting reports upon this subject. 



The King Rail , in my collection, was 

 taken in Saybrook, January 14, 1876, near 

 the west shore of the Connecticut River. 

 It was started by the dog from a patch of 

 rushes, whence it rose and flew a short dis- 

 tance, its flight resembling that of a duck, 

 which, at first sight, it was supposed to be. 

 I have heard of the Rail hunters securing 

 others, but this is the only one I have had. I 

 once found a nest of this bird here, and have 

 some of the eggs yet, but it was many 

 I years ago that I took them. J. N. Clark. 



