270 THE HARVEST MOUSE. 



operation induced by the instinctive propensity 

 that some quadrupeds are endowed with, for 

 storing up food for support during the winter 

 months, that I soon afterwards put into the cage 

 about a hundred additional grains of maize. These 

 were all in a short time carried away; and on a se- 

 cond examination, I found them stored up in the 

 manner of the former. But though the animal was 

 well supplied with other food, and particularly 

 with bread, which it seemed very fond of, and al- 

 though it continued perfectly active through the 

 whole winter, on examining its nest a third time, 

 about the end of November, I observed that the 

 food in its repository was all consumed, except 

 about half a dozen grains. 



This interesting little animal died in the month 

 of December, 1806, after a confinement of two 

 years and a quarter. I have some reason to 

 believe that its death was occasioned by water 

 being put into its cage, in a shell picked up on 

 the sea shore, that had been much impregnated 

 with salt. 



School-boys, in various parts of Hampshire, keep 

 these Mice in cages. They catch them when very 

 young; and the animals then become so exceed- 

 ingly tame as to allow themselves to be handled, 

 without any symptoms of alarm. But those that 

 are caught when full grown, generally continue 

 shy and timid as long as they live. There is no- 

 thing unpleasant in the smell of these little crea- 

 tures, as there is in most others of the murine tribe. 



The 



