THE WOODLAND VOLE 9l 



worn quite smooth and bare in those most used. The inhabitants 

 can travel easily along them at all times, in search of food, being 

 well concealed by the overarching grass. In winter, these paths are 

 formed on the ground, under the snow, as well as in the grass. The 

 mice do not inhabit prairie pastures, where the grass is eaten close 

 and affords them no cover. ' '^^ 



Since the food habits, economic importance, and natural enemies 

 of the prairie meadow mouse are so nearly like those of the com- 

 mon meadow mouse, whatever has been said with reference to that 

 species is, in general, applicable here and the reader is referred to 

 that discussion for a consideration of those points. Control meas- 

 ures indicated for the meadow mouse are also practicable for the 

 prairie mouse so that they need not be repeated in this place. 



This mouse seems to be as widely distributed as the meadow 

 mouse, and judging by the number of specimens received from vari- 

 ous localities it is as abundant as or even more abundant than that 

 species. Specimens have been received from Newton, Ottumwa, 

 Monticello, Wall Lake, Waukon, Logan, Corning, Melvin, Atlantic, 

 and Homestead. This form has also been recorded frmi Knox^/ille. 

 See also the map on page 81. 



WOODLAND VOLE. 



Microtns pineiorum uemoralis Bailey. 



Microtns pinetorum nemoralis Bailey, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 

 XII, 89, 1898. 



Description. — "Upper parts dull chestnut, slightly lined with 

 blackish tipped hairs on back and rump, becoming paler on sides; 

 belly washed with cinnamon rufous over the plumbeous underfur; 

 tail indistinctly bicolor, agreeing with dorsal and ventral colors of 

 body ; feet thinly clothed with pale buf fy or sometimes dusky hairs. 



"Measurements. — Type specimen: Total length 130 [mm.]; tail 

 vertebrae 24 ; hind foot 18. Average of five females and five males 

 from type 'locality: Total length 135; tail vertebrae 25; hijid foot 

 18.1." (Bailey, I. c, 89-90.) 



This is the largest of the so-called ' ' pine mice ; " its fur is longer 

 and duller than in the other forms occurring to the south and east 

 of Iowa. 



Habits, Distrihuiion, Etc. — The pine mice differ in habits from 

 the other members of the genus Microtiis, and on account of these 



iTCennicott, Robert, Agr. Rept. for 1856: U. S. Patent Office Rept., 98-99, 

 3857. 



