72 MURIDA—MICROMYS 
Although some observers have found difficulty in inducing 
Harvest Mice to breed’ or to rear their young” in captivity, 
others have met with more success. Mr Southwell*® records 
two produced in captivity, but gives no details; de I’Isle’s* 
captives bred twice; those kept by Mr Harting® bred and 
reared their young, and the latter became very tame. 
Although they do not become as tame as Field Mice, a 
colony of Harvest Mice make clean and interesting pets, being 
easily fed and devoid of unpleasant odour. Dr H. Laver has 
found them peaceable in winter, but in spring the males fight 
and devour each other, and the young were always eaten after 
a few days.° Mr English finds a similar peaceable amiability 
combined with an unpleasant tendency to run amuck, some- 
times resulting in the slaughter of most of the colony, and thus 
showing a very different temperament from that of the Field 
Mouse. Mr Tomes (in Bell, ed. ii.), describes it as gentle and 
not ready to bite, but requiring exercise. Mr Rope,’ on the 
contrary, says that it bites savagely when handled, hanging on 
like a bulldog, and moving the jaws about while the teeth are’ 
still in the wound—in which it resembles the House Mouse and 
the Field Mouse. 
The Harvest Mouse appears to live naturally on a mixed 
diet of seeds and insects. Mr Waters observed it pausing in 
its labour of nest-building to partake of a head of corn. As in 
the case of the Field Mouse, the range of dainties accepted in 
captivity is a wide one. Its insectivorous tastes were accident- 
ally discovered by Bingley,’ who saw his mouse spring at a 
passing bluebottle; Bingley caught the fly and made it buzz 
against the wires of the cage, whereupon “the mouse, though 
usually shy and timid, immediately came out of her hiding- 
place, and running tothe spot, seized and devoured it.” After- 
wards, fed with insects whenever possible the mouse “always 
preferred them to every other kind of food” offered. Mr 
1 Eliza Brightwen, of. czz., 137. 2 Dr H. Laver, of. czt. 
3 Zoologist, 1871, 2756. ! Ann. Sci. Nat. Zool., 1865, 181. 
5 Field, 2nd January 1875 ; Zoologist, 1895, 421 ; and in Lydekker, 183. 
© Gurney, Zoologist 1884, 112, prevented this cannibalism by giving the micea 
mutton-chop bone ; he observed a large specimen begin to eat a smaller one’s ear, 
the victim quiescent. See also Rope, of. c#¢., 1884, 57; and Eliza Brightwen, W7#/d 
Nature Won by Kindness, 1896, 138. 
OP. cit., 1884, 58. 8 British Quadrupeds, 1809, 268. 

