Field-Mice. 



109 



FIELD-MICE. 



No group of our indigenous quadrupeds possesses greater interest, in an 

 economical point of view, than that great subdivision of the rodentia, 

 the muridae, in which are comprehended the sub-families dipodinae, or 

 jumping-mice ; murine, rats and mice proper; and arvicolin^, or field- 

 mice : and a short article here on their general habits will not be out of 

 place, particularly as this is the season in which they are especially destruc- 

 ti\'e in the orchard and nurser}^-, the field and garden. 



Of the dipodinas, the genus yaculus is the only representative in this 

 country. Its most prominent characteristics are a long, slender body, sharp 

 nose, very long tail, and greatly lengthened posterior limbs, adapted to 

 leaping. 



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The Jumping-Mouse {yaculus hudsonius) is the most familiar of these 

 little animals, and it seems to be generally distributed throughout the 

 countr}-. It is known in different sections by the names " kangaroo-mouse," 



