MISCHIEF OF MEADOW-MOUSE 53 



water, the trails are often defined across it by 

 streaks where the animals swim from side to 

 side. 



The normal number of young averages about 

 six, brought forth in an underground burrow. 



Prairie and pine mice. The prairie-mouse 

 (No. 2) differs only slightly from No. 1. It is 

 a little smaller, the rough tail is shorter, its 

 two colors are more sharply contrasted, arid the 

 general pelage coarser. The color of the under 

 parts shades into a buff or cinnamon, and in 

 winter becomes gray. It is confined to the 

 central Mississippi valley, where is produced 

 more than half the corn, oats and winter wheat 

 of the country; and two closely related species 

 extend the range of mischief to the dry plains 

 west and northwest. These prairie-mice have 

 an especially fine opportunity for damage, and 

 in the winter are more destructive to trees than 

 the M. pennsylvanicus. Fortunately, there- 

 fore, they are less productive, having usually 

 only three or four young at a time, and the long 

 summer droughts and extreme winters of the 

 interior West further limit reproduction. 



The typical pine mouse or red-backed mouse 



