THE HOUSE MOUSE 651 
Distinguishing characters:—Specimens in the tawny outdoor 
pelage can readily be mistaken for young Field Mice, especially when 
both species are caught together. The short, broad foot, the characters 
of the palmar and plantar tubercles, the small eyes, the presence of ten 
mamme in the female, and the peculiar odour, afford the surest means 
of identification; while the characters of the skull and teeth are, of 
course, absolutely diagnostic. 
It is hardly necessary to describe the habits of such a 
familiar, elegant, and entertaining little thief as the House 
Mouse. Of -very delicate build, its movements are rapid: 
running with great speed for short distances, it occasionally 
bounds and can make leaps from astonishing heights without 
sustaining injury. It is a good climber, and can swim well, 
although perhaps it does not take to water in normal circum- 
stances. Though possibly possessing only indifferent sight, 
it is gifted with acute senses of smell and hearing, and is very 
quick to perceive and escape danger. 
With the possible former exception of the Black Rat, no 
other mammal has been able to effect so strong, though 
uninvited, an alliance with man as the House Mouse. Few 
articles of human food come amiss to it, and few houses in 
Britain resist its invasion or refuse it shelter. It makes its 
home in all sorts of recesses, behind skirtings, beneath flooring 
and hearths, in cupboards, bookcases, church organs, piano- 
fortes, and other heavy articles of furniture. It is mainly 
nocturnal in its habits, visiting hearths, tables, and larders 
in search of food; yet it not infrequently steals out of its 
hiding-place during quiet moments of the day. When present 
in small numbers mice do little harm, and their graceful 
movements by the fireside often compensate us for such 
damage as they cause. When the colony is a large one, 
however, they occasion much loss and annoyance; gnawing 
their way through woodwork and plaster, they sometimes cause 
considerable damage to property and fixtures; in the library 
they nibble away the margins of books, but, not finding ink 
palatable, they usually refrain from the text; articles of 
clothing and leather goods of all kinds may be attacked ; 
holes are bitten in tablecloths and napkins where spotted by 
grease; and in the larder they attack every available food, 
