THE MAMMALS OF NEW JERSEY. 63 



Genus Zapus Coues. 



Jumping Mice. 



Zapus hudsonius Zimmerman. 



Meadow Jumping Mouse. 



Plates 19 and 20, Fig. 2. 



Length, 8.80 inches. Yellowish fawn or rather dark ochrace- 

 ous, mixed with black tipped hairs, which predominate on the 

 back, making it much darker than the sides; belly white, some- 

 what suffused with buff; tail, white beneath, brownish above, 

 about 5 inches in length, head and body not quite 4 inches. 



This beautiful little animal is not very familiar even to the 

 farmer, and seems to be absolutely harmless, seldom or never 

 devouring any of the crops of the field or garden. 



Their home is in the low swamps or meadows, especially 

 among the long yellow Andropogon or Indian grass. Here as 

 we pass through we may suddenly flush one of these little ani- 

 mals and he goes bounding up and down clearing the top of 

 grass at every leap and settling again when he thinks he is safe. 



Upon the advent of frost they retreat each to his subterranean 

 nest and there curled up in a little round ball pass the strenuous 

 months of winter until the warmth of approaching spring 

 wakens them up again, and they sally forth, to feed and make 

 up for the long winter fast. Mr. E. A. Preble in his Monograph 

 of the Genus Zapus says that they breed from May to September 

 both above and beneath the ground and build summer nests on 

 the ground in thick grass, globular with a side entrance which 

 are occupied by both male and female. 



Naturalists have found slight differences in the jumping mice 

 of different sections and two forms inhabit New Jersey. The 

 one just described occurring throughout the northern part of 

 the State, while a slightly different form occurs in the southern 

 counties east and west of the pine barrens, known as the Caro- 

 linian Jumping Mouse. Zapus hudsonius americanus (Barton). 

 None of these animals have yet been found in the pine barrens. 



