MISCHIEF OF MEADOW-MOUSE 51 



of forms of small and very similar rodents 

 which in some respects resemble true mice, but 

 are readily distinguished by the robust body, 

 thick head, very short ears, blunt muzzle and 

 short, hairy tail. 



There seems to be no entirely appropriate 

 vernacular name for these mice. The French 

 call them campagnols, the Germans wiihlmause. 

 English-speaking people outside the United 

 States call them voles. In the United States 

 they are variously designated as meadow-mice 

 or field-mice, and locally as bear-mice, bull- 

 mice, buck-tailed mice, mole-mice, and so forth. 

 Meadoiv-mice would do very well if it were not 

 that several of our four-score species belong to 

 the high dry plains of the West. As, however, 

 the typical meadow-mouse of the east ranges 

 over nearly the whole country, its name may 

 well be adopted for the whole genus. 



The three species most frequently met with 

 in connection with damage are: 



1. Common meadow-mouse (Microtus penn- 

 sylvanicus.) 



2. Prairie-mouse (M. ochrogaster.) 



3. Pine-mouse (M. pinetorum.) 



