252 DOMESTIC MOUSE. 



The Domestic Mouse, although dully coloured 

 is a very beautifully formed little animal, extremely 

 active and interesting in its manners. It is pleasant 

 to sit quietly at midnight, watching one which has 

 ventured forth from its retreat, and stolen to the 

 hearth in quest of crumbs. It glides along, now 

 slowly, now by sudden starts, and on finding some 

 fragment of food, sits on its haunches, lays hold of 

 it in its fore feet, and raising it up, nibbles it, or, if 

 apprehensive of danger, runs off with it to its hole. 

 Although extremely timid, Mice sometimes exhibit 

 considerable boldness, and venture- quite close to a 

 person who does not molest them. Their agility is 

 astonishing, and to escape when pursued, they per- 

 form extraordinary feats. I have seen one leap 

 from the top of a stair-case upon a table, a distance 

 of twelve feet, apparently without receiving any 

 injury. If seized in the hand, they bite severely ; 

 but if caught by the tail and thus suspended, are 

 unable to turn upon their persecutor. Although 

 when in small numbers they are scarcely injurious 

 in a house, yet, owing to their fecundity, they soon 

 become very destructive, devouring meal, flour, 

 bread, cheese, butter, tallow, in short, almost every 

 article of food that comes in their way, and often 

 gnawing clothes, leather, and furniture. Their great 

 enemy, the Cat, is not always able to extirpate them, 

 so that the additional aid of traps and poison is 

 required. The ravages of this species are not con- 

 fined to houses, for it often betakes itself to the 

 fields, and nestles in the corn-stacks, which are 



