THE SPINY POCKET MICE 61 



the eye can hardly follow them. They are never 

 about in the daytime, but wait until twilight 

 before venturing forth for food. Thus they 

 avoid many enemies which stalk about during 

 the daytime. But they find in a night-roving 

 species of rattlesnake, the sidewinder, an enemy 

 not to be ignored. This little rattlesnake is so 

 quick in its movements when striking that even 

 the nimble, swift jumping pocket mice seldom 

 escape capture. 



The pocket 'mice are always on the alert and 

 ready for flight when occasion demands. They 

 notice everything. Let me make a sudden 

 movement with my foot, or wiggle even a finger 

 ever so little, and they are off in an instant. It 

 is a singular fact, however, that, though their 

 ear conchs are so well developed for catching 

 sounds, these rodents pay little, if any, atten- 

 tion to noises. As long as they see no motion, 

 they pay no heed to sounds. I have imitated 

 owls at their hooting, carried on conversation 

 with visitors, shouted and whined in sharp 

 tones, and they paid no more attention than if 

 they were stone deaf. 



One of the peculiarities of these pocket mice 



