THE FIELD MOUSE 523 
It seems to be at least partially gregarious. Mr G. Bolam 
states that it appears to live in pairs, and the young associate 
with the parents until a considerable age (Bradford Scz. Journ., 
Jan. 1912, 213). Dr Henry Laver finds that the work of storing 
provisions is shared by a company, and that fourteen or fifteen 
may sometimes be dug out of the burrow. Consequently in 
captivity a large number may be kept together, the males, 
females, and young sleeping together in perfect amity, and the 
latter being even fed indiscriminately’ by the mothers,” as found 
by Mr R. M. Barrington. These observations indicate that 
the wild male is not dangerous to his family, but not 
necessarily that he resides with them. The fact that the 
dams would suckle the young of the colony promiscuously 
might result from the confusion® resulting from a mixed 
ménage, in which identification of any particular offspring 
would be impossible to keep up. The observations show, 
however, that the mice are extremely sociable and good 
tempered, friendly to strangers of their own species, and that 
their system is quite opposed to that of the exclusive Water Rat. 
Its dietary is of the usual wide murine type, ranging from 
roots, bulbs, nuts, and berries to members of its own species,* but 
avoiding the grass-stalks beloved of Grass Mice. It is a great 
plague in cornfields and gardens, especially to early sown peas. 
According to Mr Barrington’s® observations these mice 
seldom feed on blades of grass, but more often on the roots; 
they eat clover and dandelion leaves, while the unexpanded 
dandelion flower seemed to be esteemed a great delicacy ; 
also milk, oats, wheat, barley, chestnuts, beech nuts, walnuts, 
arbutus berries, gooseberries, apples, grapes, and every variety 
of fruit ; almonds were not much liked; the captives liked to 
tear a lot of grass to pieces. Mr Adams describes his captives 
as peeling but not eating horse-chestnuts, refusing apples and 
1 Observations of this sort made on captive animals under artificial conditions 
must be applied with great care to wild individuals. 2 Zoologist, 1882, 121-3. 
3 Cows are quite sociable and gregarious animals, and, if allowed to rear their 
calves, are attached only to their own young. But if a number of cows and calves 
be confined in a yard for a very few hours they soon lose the power of distinguishing 
their own young, and promiscuous suckling results. 
4 In eating a mouse it begins with the brain, and then eats a large hole in the 
back, whereas shrews begin at the upper ribs, and then eat their way to the brain 
(L. E. Adams, /S.). 5) Loe. cit. 
