FIELD MICE 



provident little creatures were laying away. 

 Altogether the wise, little, energetic miners had 

 several quarts of food put aside for future use. 



Then began our walk home, which was not 

 without its instructive incidents. Nearer the 

 wheat-field, where food was most abundant, the 

 runways were very numerous and in them were 

 many of the little mice homes. An accident 

 felled me to the ground and there, right in front 

 of me was still another lesson. A deserted 

 bird's nest was occupied by a family of little 

 mice all of whom scampered out when I so un- 

 wittingly disturbed them. These little creatures 

 are very cleanly and frequently make new nests 

 to replace those that are imperfect, or old, or 

 get very dirty. 



A short time after this pleasant and instruc- 

 tive walk I caught a pair of little gray mice in a 

 trap which I placed at the base of a stack of 

 wheat. There are a number of kinds of field 

 or meadow mice and they vary in color from 

 gray to a rich chestnut brown, while the fur of 

 some is sprinkled with black hairs that are 

 longer and coarser. The field mice which I 

 knew on the plains are not as large nor as plen- 



