White-footed Mouse 
When their nests are beneath logs and woodpiles, they are 
very like those of other mice, simple balls of soft grass lined 
with feathers and thistledown. 
I have never seen the young white-footed mice before they 
were about half grown, at which time they are of a dull, pale slate 
colour. 
White-footed mice are largely nocturnal in their habits and as 
a consequence have most to fear from the night hunters, the owls, 
especially the little saw whet and the screech owl which are forever 
taking them unaware. I am not sure that I have ever seen one of 
these mice come out in the sunshine, but in cloudy weather you will 
once in a while catch a glimpse of one; only the other day I saw 
one dart into a hollow log as | approached. 
White-footed mice, like flying squirrels, are among the most 
gentle and unsuspicious of living things and though armed with 
long sharp teeth seldom offer any resistance when captured. | 
cannot recall ever hearing one squeak as other mice do, but 
they have a sharp little call of their own and at times a low 
chattering cry almost like the dim echo of a real squirrel’s chatter. 
In captivity they soon become tame and familiar and are always 
ready to eat whatever is offered them without hesitation. 
Species and Varieties of White-footed Mice 
A vast number of species and varieties of these mice occur 
in the United States, especially in the West. In the East we 
have besides the red mouse (described further on) three groups 
differing mainly in size. The Florida deer mouse (length 8.50 
inches) and the oldfield mice (length 5 inches) are treated under 
separate heads, but the remaining medium-sized species are so 
closely related to the common white-footed mouse that they may 
as well be treated together briefly and the foregoing sketch of 
their habits, although based on numbers 1 and 2 of the following list, 
applies pretty well to all. There are three distinct species of these 
mice with several geographic varieties of each as follows: 
A. THE COMMON WHITE-FOOTED MICE 
Tail shorter than the head and body, without a decided 
terminal pencil of hairs. Underparts of body white, the gray of 
the hairs not perceptible unless che pelage is disturbed, 
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