THE HARVEST MOUSE. 



139 



A. A. are spines of the hedgehog enlarged ; 



B, a segment, to shew the numerous tubes of communication. 



The harvest mouse (mus messorius) in some 

 seasons is common with us, but, like other species 

 of mice, varies much in the numbers found. I 

 have seen their nests as late as the middle of 

 September, containing eight young ones entirely 

 filling the little interior cavity. These nests vary 

 in shape, being round, oval, or pear-shaped, with 

 a long neck, and are to be distinguished from those 

 of any other mouse, by being generally suspended 

 on some growing vegetable, a thistle, a bean-stalk, 

 or some adjoining stems of wheat, with which it 

 rocks and waves in the wind ; but to prevent the 

 young from being dislodged by any violent agita- 

 tion of the plant, the parent closes up the entrance 

 so uniformly, with the whole fabric, that the real 

 opening is with difficulty found. 



