THE HARVEST MOUSE. 237 



" One of these nests I procured this autumn (1767), 

 most artificially platted, and composed of the blades of 

 wheat, perfectly round, and about the size of a cricket- 

 ball, with the aperture so ingeniously closed, that there 

 was no discovering to what part it belonged. It was 

 so compact and well filled, that it would roll across the 

 table without being discomposed, though it contained 

 eight little mice that were naked and blind. As this 

 nest was perfectly full, how could the dam come at her 

 litter respectively, so as to administer a teat to each ? 

 Perhaps she opens different places for that purpose, ad- 

 justing them again when the business is over j but she 

 could not possibly be contained herself in the ball with 

 her young, which, moreover, would be daily increasing 

 in bulk. This wonderful procreant cradle, an elegant 

 instance of the efforts of instinct, was found in a wheat- 

 field, suspended in the head of a thistle." 



In winter, the harvest mouse burrows deep in the 

 earth, and makes a warm bed of grass ; but prefers con- 

 gregating in immense numbers under the roof of corn 

 or hay-stacks, when these are within its reach. The 

 following interesting account of the habits of a tame 

 mouse is by the Rev. W. Bingley, in his Memoirs of 

 British Quadrupeds : " About the middle of Septem- 

 ber, 1804, I had a female harvest mouse given to me. 



