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574 MURIDAE—MICROMYS 
These were all in a short time carried away, and on a second 
examination, he found them ‘stored up in the manner of the 
former. But though the animal was well supplied with 
other food, and particularly with bread, which it seemed very 
fond of, and although it continued perfectly active through the 
whole winter, on examining its nest a third time, about the 
end of November,” he observed ‘“ that the food in its repository 
was all consumed, except about half-a-dozen grains.” Much 
of the animal's work of transporting the grass for its nest must 
have been done during the night. 
Captives lap milk and water (Bingley, of. cz¢., 268 ; Harting, 
op. cet. ; and Millais, ii., 180). 
The voice is said to be not pitched so high as that of the 
House Mouse, and to be rather “a harsh grating chirp than 
a squeak.” ' Mrs Brightwen® says that sometimes “in their 
great happiness they make a low, sweet chirping like a com- 
pany of wrens conversing cheerily together.” 
Harvest Mice are very difficult to trap, and are usually 
caught by hand when leaving or entering their nests; this 
accounts for the dearth of really mature material noticed 
above. Their numbers, like those of ‘‘voles” and Field Mice, 
are subject to annual fluctuations, and in a “mouse year,” at 
least on the Continent, they may forma considerable proportion 
of the total rodent population.* When present in large numbers, 
they are capable of causing much damage to crops despite 
their diminutive size ; but their ravages are largely compensated 
by their insectivorous tastes. 
As regards its longevity, Bingley’s specimens lived for two 
and a quarter years in confinement, while Mrs Brightwen’s * 
specimens began to die after two years’ captivity ; the longest 
lived one of ten kept at the Zoological Gardens remained there 
for thirty-three months.° 
1G. T. Rope, of. czz., 1884, 57. 2 Op. ctt., 138. 
* Schlegel, Zoo/ogist, 1881, 234; Blasius, of, cit, 329 ; Landois, of. cit, 163 ; and 
S. A. Poppe, of. cit., supra, 
1 Loc, cit. ® P. Chalmers Mitchell, Prec. Zool. Soc., 1911, 448. 

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