HOUSE MOUSE. 93 



place of origin, in Asia, whence it has spread to every part of 

 the world where man has gone. In most cases, it may be pre- 

 sumed with safety, it has travelled cosily stowed away in his 

 stores and merchandise, so that as soon as the human migrant 

 has built himself a home he finds that the Mouse is in occupa- 

 tion, and demanding a share of his food. In spite of all his 

 serious depredations, our literature teems with evidence that 

 the victim has always retained some kindly feeling for his pretty 

 four-footed oppressor. 



For the sake of uniformity, let us say that the head and body 

 of the House Mouse measure a little more than three and up to 

 four inches, and the tapering, flexible, and sparsely haired, 

 scale-ringed tail may slightly exceed that measurement. It has 

 a pointed snout, the bright, bead-like eyes are black, the large, 

 sensitive brownish ears are nearly half the length of the head, 

 and the soft, brownish-grey fur is only a little paler on the 

 under parts. Outdoor specimens are often more yellow-brown 

 in coloration. As compared with the Wood Mouse we have 

 this more dusky and uniform coloration, shorter whiskers, 

 smaller eyes, stouter and less flexible tail, and shorter legs. 

 The thumb of the hand is reduced to a mere tubercle. 



It is very active and silent in its movements, emerging from 

 a tiny hole in floor-board or skirting and gliding without sound 

 over the floor, ascending with ease table-legs or walls, and then, 

 if alarmed, springing with a prodigious leap back to its hole. 

 Concrete floors will not suffice to keep it out of a house, for it 

 will climb the outer walls and enter the upper windows, thence 

 making itself secret ways to the lower floors behind woodwork 

 or plastered walls, till it reaches the kitchen, the larder or trie 

 storeroom. Though it shows by its preferences that its natural 

 role is that of grain thief, it will eat any kind of human food and 

 much besides : in a word, it is omnivorous. 



Its great success as a species is due to this adaptability and 

 to its astonishing fecundity. It produces four or five litters 



