426 THE AMERICAN MONTHLY [Dec. 



the destruction of property by the rodents was a serious 

 item in the sum total of the general misery of the peas- 

 ant class. Regarding the bacteriologic work under- 

 taken for the extermination of the animals, the reports 

 from the laboratories are indicative of success, but not 

 conclusive ; at all events the closing up of the plague 

 seems to have been chiefly due to the spread of infec- 

 tious disease among the mice, but wliether this was 

 caused by the bacillus typhi murium or in some other 

 way, no positive statement is made. The Governor of 

 Cherson includes the following in his report : 



1. It was particularly noticed that field mice had mul- 

 tiplied and that the number of house mice had largely 

 increased. 



2. The warm winter had without doubt favored their 

 propagation, but probably the main cause consisted in 

 the large quantity of cereals which had remained all 

 over the province, in the shape of thrashed grain as well 

 as in stacks. 



3. It is also certain that the mice increased on the 

 spot, but, according to the observations of some land- 

 owners, the mice were noticed to move from east to 

 west. This gives reason to believe that they immi- 

 grated from neighboring provinces and occupied the 

 territory of the entire province. 



4. The reports regarding the extraordinary increase of 

 the mice date from the spring of 18,94, but its commence- 

 ment dates back to the autumn of 1893 ; of late, the 

 mice perish from some disease which is not as yet de- 

 fined, but to determine its nature certain measures have 

 been taken by the Department of Agriculture. It is not 

 possible to estimate the extent of damage caused by 

 mice ; all the more so, because they are accompanied by 

 rats which not only devour grain and other produce, 

 but even destroy village buildings. 



• 5. Up to the present, the population have used various 



