THE MOUSE-LIKE RODENTS. 101 



it goes about during the day. It swims quickly, but entirely by the agency of the hind feet, the fore 

 feet being used chiefly for carrying and building operations, and for conveying the food to the mouth. 

 Before diving, it is said to slap the surface of the water with its tail, producing a sound that may be 

 heard at a considerable distance. On land it sometimes travels a good way in the warm season, and 

 is then stated to indulge in a change of diet, feeding upon roots and fruits, and sometimes upon corn. 

 The roots of the water-lily (JVuphar) are also said to constitute part of its food. The Beaver is hunted 

 but less now than in former years for the sake of its skin, the soft under fur of which was much 

 used in the manufacture of hats. It is asserted that the flesh is very good, but according to some 

 authorities, only certain parts of it are palatable ; and Audubon declares that the tail, which is regarded 

 as a peculiarly choice morsel, closely resembles marrow, and is so rich that only those whose stomachs 

 are incapable of being upset by greasy food can eat more than a very little of it. 



The Beaver has been hunted not only for its fur, but also, and from time immemorial, for the 

 sake of a peculiar secretion produced by it, which, under the name of Castoreum, has been for many 

 centuries a highly-esteemed medicament. This substance is secreted in a pair of glandular pouches, 

 situated in the inguinal region of the male Beaver ; and it would seem that it was almost entirely in. 

 oi-der to procure these that the ancients hunted this animal. Even in connection with this they had 

 wonderful tales to tell of its sagacity : as how that, when it was pursued and found itself unable to 

 escape, it would throw itself upon its back, as if to invite the hunter to take what he wanted 

 and spare its life. Nay, some ancient writers seem to have believed that the Beaver would go the 

 length of biting off" its own castoreum glands, and leaving them for the hunter to pick up ! Castoreum 

 contains some volatile oil and resin, and a peculiar crystallisable substance called castorine ; it is 

 used in medicine as a stimulant, and seems to act especially on the nervous system, but is not much 

 employed nowadays. Its odour, which appeal's to spread over a considerable space, is described as 

 being very attractive to other Beavers. Audubon states that it is used for this reason as a lure by the 

 American trappers. 



CHAPTER II. 

 THE DOBMOUSE, LOPHIOMYS, EAT, AND MOUSE FAMILIES. 



THE MOUSE-LIKE RODENTS MYOXID.S: Characteristics THE DORMOUSE Description Habits Activity Food Winter 

 Condition THE LOIR THE GARDEN DORMOUSE LOPHIOMYID.E How the Family came to be Founded THE 

 LOPHIOMYS Milne-Edwards' Opinion Skull General Form Habits MURID^E Number of Species Characteristics 

 Variety of Forms Distribution The Murine Sub-Family THE BROWN EAT History Fecundity and Ferocity 

 Diet At the Horse Slaughter-houses of Montfaucon Shipwrecked on Islands Story of their Killing a Man in a 

 Coal-pit In the Sewers of Paris and London THE BLACK KAT THE EGYPTIAN RAT THE COMMON MOUSE Habits 

 Destructiveness Colours THE LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE Description Food THE HARVEST MOUSE Descrip- 

 tion Habits In Winter Agility Their Nest THE BANDICOOT RAT THE TREE RAT THE STRIPED MOUSE 

 Allied Genera THE WHITE-FOOTED HAPALOTE The American Murines THE WHITE-FOOTED, OR DEER MOUSE THE 

 GOLDEN, OR RED MOUSE THE RICE-FIELD MOUSE THE AMERICAN HARVEST MOUSE THE FLORIDA RAT Description 

 Their Nest Food Mother and Young THE BUSHY-TAILED WOOD RAT THE COTTON RAT THE RABBIT-LIKE 

 REITHRODON THE HAMSTERS Characteristics Appearance Distribution Burrows Disposition Food Habits 

 THE TREE MICE THE BLACK-STREAKED TREE MICE THE GERBILLES Characteristics Habits Other Genera 

 THE WATER MICE Characteristics Species THE SMINTHUS THE VOLES Characteristics THE WATER VOLE 

 Appearance Distribution Food THE FIELD VOLE THE BANK VOLE THE SOUTHERN FIELD VOLE THE SNOW 

 MOUSE THE ROOT VOLE THE MEADOW MOUSE THE PINE MOUSE THE MUSQUASH, 'MusK RAT, OR ONDATRA 

 Distinguishing Features Habits His House THE LEMMING Description Food Habits Disposition Their 

 Extraordinary Migrations Other Lemmings THE ZOKOR. 



SECTION II. MOUSE-LIKE RODENTS (MYOMORPHA). 



THE Myomorphic, or Mouse-like group of Rodents, includes a much greater variety of forms than 

 the preceding, and the number of species is also very great. We find in it arboreal, teirestrial, 

 and aquatic species ; and in the second of these categories some presenting almost every vai-iety of 

 habit which the Rodent type is capable of assuming. Naturally the families and sub-families into 

 which it is divided are rather numerous. Mr. Alston distinguished seven family groups, the first 

 of which is the Myoxidse. 

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