FIELD MOUSE 



Micro tus pennsylvanicus. 



This tiny creature, whose long list of Latin-named species is 

 out of all proportion to its size, is common from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific, confining its activities wholly to the outdoor world, with, 

 perhaps, the one exception of harvested crops, and showing a pref- 

 erence for low or marshy meadow-land, although abundant every- 

 where throughout our fields. The coloring of the upper portion of 

 the body corresponds closely with the soil, being a reddish brown, 

 so the quick movement alone often gives us the first hint of its 

 presence. Its chief distinguishing features are the plumpness of 

 the sturdy little frame in contrast to the slender shape of many 

 mice, the close-set rounded ears and the short tail, measuring about 

 one-third of the entire length, which is about seven inches. 



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