Feb., 1912. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 179 



"For these causes have men invented many devises, snars, and gins, 

 the generall wherof is called by the Latines Muscipula and by the Gre- 

 tians Muspala and Miagra, the divers and severall formes whereof I will 

 not disdaine to set down. For the wise reader must consider that it is 

 as necessary or rather more necessary for most men to know how to 

 take mice, than how to take Elephants. 



''And although every woman, and silly Rat-ketcher can give instruc- 

 tions enough therein, yet their knowledge cannot excuse my negligence 

 if I should omit the inventions and devices of the auncient, whereby 

 they delivered themselves from the annoiances of these beasts. And 

 therefore first of al to declare the manner of ketching them ' . . . 



''And also it is reported of those which have tryed the same, that if 

 Mice fall into a vessell without water, and remaine there a long time 

 without meate, that then they devoure one another, but if they remaine 

 there so long untill one among them all be left alone, that is to say the 

 strongest of them all, and that he be suffered to go out, wheresoever 

 hee shall finde any mice hee will eate them up, and they shall have much 

 adoe to escape him, because he hath been so long accustomed unto 

 them. I was told also of a certaine friend of mine, that a man of 

 Senensis did set a purse in a hollow place, and made it to open and shut 

 by some device, so that at length he tooke a mouse, which mouse hee fed 

 onely with the flesh of Mice, and after he had fed it so a long time, he 

 let it go, who killed all the Mice that he did meete, and was not satisfied 

 with them, but went into every hole that he could find, and eat them 

 up also. Also Mice are taken in vessels, from whence they cannot 

 escape, upon the which vessell let there be put a small staffe, which is 

 so cut in the middle, that she may onely hold her selfe by the meate, 

 and when you have so doone, put the kernell of a Nut upon the middle 

 of the staffe, to the which the Mouse comming, doth fall into the vessell 

 with the staffe, and they will be stifeled if their be any Water: but if 

 there be none she will be killed." 



After devoting several more pages to methods of destroying Mice 

 both with traps and poisons, he adds: 



''The Scythians were woont to be clad with the skinnes of mice and 

 Wolves, and it is observed, that when mice cry and screeketh above 

 their ordinary custome, it pressageth an alteration and change of the 

 Weather, and thus much shall suffice for their naturall discourse." 



Specimens examined from Illinois and Wisconsin : 

 Illinois — Chicago, 6; Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 2; (O.) Chicago, 



12 = 20. 

 Wisconsin — Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., i; (O.) Lake Geneva, 8 = 9. 



