288 HURDLE. 



Although common, we have observed that it is somewhat 

 local, appearing in considerable numbers in certain fields, 

 or farms, but not occurring in others, although near. It 

 feeds principally on corn ; but from the observations of 

 Mr. Bingley, it would appear that it occasionally feeds, 

 nothing loath, upon insects also. " One evening," 

 says this agreeable writer, speaking of an individual of 

 this species which he had in confinement, " as I was 

 sitting at my writing-desk, and the animal was playing 

 about in the open part of its cage, a large blue fly hap- 

 pened to buzz against the wires. The little creature, 

 although at twice or thrice the distance of her own length 

 from it, sprang along the wires with the greatest agility, 

 and would certainly have seized it, had the space between 

 the wires been sufficiently wide to have admitted her 

 teeth or paws to reach it. I was surprised at this occur- 

 rence, as I had been led to believe that the Harvest Mouse 

 was merely a granivorous animal. I caught the fly and 

 made it buzz in my fingers against the wires. The Mouse, 

 though usually shy and timid, immediately came out of 

 her hiding-place, and running to the spot, seized and de- 

 voured it. From this time I fed her with insects, when- 

 ever I could get them ; and she always preferred them to 

 every other kind of food that I offered her." 



It is not only one of the prettiest, but, with the excep- 

 tion of the Sorex pygmaus, the smallest of all the British 

 mammalia ; and its habits are at least as interesting as 

 those of any more conspicuous and important species. 

 Although very gentle in disposition, seldom attempting 

 to bite when taken hold of, it is not very easily rendered 

 familiar, being in this respect much inferior to the com- 

 mon Field Mouse, but it may be kept in confinement for 

 a long time in good health, by allowing it the optional use 

 of a sort of little tread-wheel, in which it will often exer- 



