NOVEMBER. 291 



when pursued, it ran, and only leaped when about to be 

 overtaken. 



And in all these weeks my mouse has never squeaked. 

 Even when his tail is pinched, it has muttered to 

 itself, if at all ; and during the gloaming, and often until 

 well in the night, I have sat in darkness by its cage, hear- 

 ing its movements and dimly discerning them, but not a 

 sound has it uttered. Yet I can not think that it is a mute 

 individual ; and I know that in the field, of a warm sum- 

 mer night, they can and do squeak, and sometimes soften 

 this short utterance until you might almost say they 

 sang. 



Probably, had I found my specimen in May instead of 

 November, when fresh from a long winter's nap, instead 

 of being suddenly aroused at the commencement of it, I 

 should have had something more interesting to report 

 concerning it ; for such as I have seen within a year or 

 two, in the field, have shown themselves to be exceedingly 

 intelligent ; particularly in their usually successful efforts 

 to elude their enemies, which are so abundant that it is 

 a marvel the species has been able to maintain its ground ; 

 although, of course, its nocturnal habits are somewhat in 

 its favor ; as is also the fact that for some five months of 

 each year it is safely tucked away from the jaws and claws 

 of its most persistent foes. Yet, notwithstanding all 

 this, the species, in this vicinity at least, is not nearly so 

 common as the beautiful white-footed mouse, the Hes- 

 peromys, daintiest of all our mammals. 



A year has now passed since this second section was 

 written, and I have again something more to say of the 

 little fellow. Some years ago, I expressed a doubt as to 

 the possibility of this mammal leaping as far as stated by 

 Dr. Godman, " from five to six feet at every spring." I 

 have learned since then that the white-footed mouse can 

 do this, and here we have a mammal whose construe- 



