Rats, Mice and Lemmings 



and we have in the distribution of these two a fair parallel to that 

 of the white rabbit and the cottontail. 



Varieties of the Woodland Jumping- Mouse 



1. Woodland Jumping Mouse. Zapus insignis Miller. Descrip- 



tion and range as above. 



2. Roan Mountain Jumping Mouse. Z. insignis roanensis Preble. 



Smaller and darker. 

 Range. Mountains of the Southern Alleghanies. 



3. Northern Jumping Mouse. L. insignis abietorum Preble. 



Larger than the woodland jumping mouse. 

 Range. Quebec and Ontario. 



RATS, MICE AND LEMMINGS 



(Family Muridtz) 



The late Dr. Coues described the members of this family in 

 his usual terse style as "a feeble folk, comparatively insignificant in 

 size and strength, holding their own in legions against a host 

 of natural enemies, rapacious beasts and birds." 



Few persons realize what a variety of them there are; spread 

 over almost every part of the world they constitute a large 

 proportion of the mammalian fauna and in eastern North America 

 about one-quarter of our quadrupeds belong to this family. 



They are typical members of the rodent tribe in every res- 

 pect. In habits they are for the most part nocturnal, while 

 many species live in burrows or tunnel-like runways on the sur- 

 face of the ground among the grass roots and seldom, if ever, 

 venture forth into the light. Other species like the muskrat 

 are aquatic and have become excellent swimmers. 



With few exceptions the members of this family are popu- 

 larly known as rats or mice, a difference which has to do only 

 with size. These names being originated for the two semi- 

 domestic species the house mouse and the Norway rat which 

 accompany man wherever he establishes himself, were afterwards 

 bestowed upon our wild species, according as they approached 

 one or the other in size. Rats and mice do not therefore con- 



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