PRAIRIE WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE 73 



that damage may have occurred and have been attributed to the 

 house mouse. Of course owls, weasels, and the larger harmless 

 snakes destroy numbers of white-footed mice; and, in addition, 

 domestic dogs and cats occasionally kill them. They can be kept off 

 one 's premises only by constant vigilance, since any decrease in the 

 supply is immediately made good by invasion from neighboring, 

 woods and fields. When these mice infest houses and other build- 

 ings, they may be destroyed by trapping (the common snap traps 

 are good), or by poisoning. Strychnin in the form of strychnia 

 sulphate is one of the best methods of poisoning. One ounce of the 

 poison is used for one-half bushel of wheat. The strychnia sulphate 

 is first dissolved in a pint of hot w r ater, after which a pint of heavy 

 syrup or molasses is added. This poison fluid is now poured over 

 the wheat and the mass stirred until each grain is coated, when 

 the whole is left for from twelve to twenty-four hours before it is 

 distributed. Care should be exercised that birds and live stock are 

 not allowed access to the poisoned wheat either in bulk or after it 

 has been distributed. 



PRAIRIE WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE. PRAIRIE DEER 



MOUSE. 



Per omy sens maniculatus bairdi (Hoy & Kennicott). 



Mus badrdii Hoy & Kennicott, in Kennicott, Agricultural Report, 

 U. S. Patent Office (1856), 92, PL XI, 1857. 



Description. Winter: Color above brown mixed with black, the 

 latter confined to middle of back; sides paler than back; sides of 

 face paler than top of head; ears brownish black narrowly mar- 

 gined with creamy; tail sharply bicolor, black or blackish brown 

 above, white below; feet white; color below white or whitish, the 

 tips of hairs white, their bases slaty gray; the dark bases are not 

 concealed and this gives a grayish tinge to the under parts. Sum- 

 mer: The worn pelage becomes brighter and the dark dorsal line 

 reduced and changed to pale brownish. 



Measurements. Total length, 5.75 inches; tail vertebras, 2.45 

 inches; hind foot, 0.70 inch. 



This form is similar to the northern white-footed deer mouse, 

 save that the ears and feet are smaller and the tail markedly shorter, 

 more thickly haired, and more sharply bicolor; in addition, the 

 general color is darker than in that species, and the entire animal 

 is decidedly smaller. 



