CHAPTER I. 

 MICE. 



IF ANYONE had mentioned at one time of day their 

 intention of writing and publishing anything in book 

 form on the subject of mice as pets, they would have 

 been fairly laughed out of court. Yet, to-day there are 

 thousands of these attractive little creatures bred in 

 captivity, and upon well-recognized principles as to 

 pedigree and system. There are two clubs for mouse 

 fanciers, and at many of our live stock exhibitions the 

 classes given for mice are more largely patronised than 

 either those for rabbits or cavies. Moreover, what 

 would seem to be fabulous prices (for a mouse) are 

 repeatedly being paid for select show specimens. Keep- 

 ing fancy mice must be purely a hobby, for there is no 

 other use to which they can be put, however excellent 

 they may be. To give some idea of the extent to which 

 they are bred we will here mention some of the varieties. 

 There are silver greys, silver fawns, and silver browns, 

 tortoiseshells, sable and whites, tricolours, black and 

 tans, blue and tans, sables (dark and medium), agoutis 

 (golden and grey), Dutch-marked, evenly-marked, varie- 

 gated, broken, creams, whites with pink eyes, ditto with 

 black eyes, self-silvers, blacks, blues, chocolates, fawns, 

 and we do not think this quite exhausts the list. But 

 it will suffice to show the diversity there is in regard to 

 the colours of these little rodents. We shall first touch 

 upon 



HOUSING. 



Just as in the case of rabbits or cavies, fancy mice, 

 to be kept successfully, must have freedom from damp 

 and draughty conditions. Unless this is ensured, the 

 stock will be puny, bad coated, and miserable to look 

 at. Some say keep them in a cellar, others in a loft, yet 

 others in an attic, but wherever it is let it be dry. More- 

 over you must see to it that you place an effectual barrier 



