258 NATURE'S STORY OF THE YEAR 



night, however, he took some filberts from my 

 hand, though not without signs of alarm, little 

 starts and recoils, and sniffs at the proffered fruit, 

 his large ears meanwhile turning this way and 

 that to catch the faintest sound of danger, and his 

 bright eyes eagerly scanning his captor. 



The cage, more than a foot each way, and light 

 with glass and wirework, was supplied not only 

 with a variety of foods, but also with a wheel 

 made on the principle of a continuous ladder, in 

 which the mouse could run to any extent. He 

 would make this spin for a minute or more without 

 a rest. Sometimes he must have run in it to the 

 extent of a quarter of a mile in a night. Being 

 kept in my bedroom he could often be heard in 

 the night. After being kept for a month he was 

 unsuited to resume a wild life, for some other 

 mouse, now master of his resort, would have killed 

 him. In the garden he would have been the prey 

 of a cat. So it was best to keep him in the cage. 

 He gave no trouble. An ounce of corn would 

 support him for many days, and he kept his cage 

 very clean. 



When much pleased by anything he jumped 



