i88 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



wotild carry them off, moving, unless chased, with great caution, as 

 though she feared to injure them. A neighbor relates that in turning 

 over a log in the woods, he exposed one of these mice, which, instead of 

 jumping off rapidly, moved slowly away along a small log, and was 

 observed to have several young attached to her teats. Her movements 

 being watched with interest, one of the young was seen to be brushed 

 off and fall among the grass, the mother passing on out of sight. The 

 young mouse left was quite helpless and continued to utter a low squeak. 

 After a while, the mother returned to it, and though her movements 

 cotdd no longer be observed, the voice of the young mouse ceased, and 

 upon examination of the spot, it was found to have disappeared with 

 the mother. It is not to be supposed, however, that the young of this 

 mouse are attached to the mammae of the parent like those of the 

 opossum" (/. c, pp. 90-91). 



"Caged specimens do not eat flesh and are not at all pugnacious" 

 (Kennicott, /. c, pp. 90-91). This last statement by Kennicott does 

 not agree with observations of later writers. I have known a wild 

 one to eat part of a dead bird and in captivity it will readily eat meat. 

 Dr. C. Hart Merriam says,* "The White-footed Mouse is fond of flesh, 

 and, like the flying squirrel, eagerly devours dead birds placed in its 

 way." Mr. W. L. Hahn writes, "A number of white-footed mice were 

 left in captivity at different times, but they could not be kept together. 

 On one occasion six were caught under corn shocks and were divided 

 equally between two cages. Next morning each cage contained two 

 partially eaten carcasses, while of the survivors in each cage one died 

 within a few hours and the other a day later (/. c, p. 499). This Mouse 

 is naturally gentle and rarely attemps to bite even when just caught. 

 When in captivity it soon becomes very tame and makes an amusing 

 pet. 



Specimens examined from Illinois, Wisconsin and adjoining states: 



Illinois — Fox Lake, 18; Camp Logan, 6; Warsaw, i; Galena, 9 = 34. 



Wisconsin — Delavan Lake, 2; Camp Douglas, 3; Beaver Dam, 14; 

 (M. P. M.) Milwaukee, 4; Prescott, Pierce Co., 98; Maiden Rock, 

 21; Yellow River, Burnett Co., 10; Newport, Door Co., 3; Delavan, 

 9; Polk Co., i; Prairie du Sac, Sauk Co., 41; Grant Co., 2; (O. C.) 

 Whitefish Bay, Milwaukee Co., 9; Nashotah, Waukesha Co., 10 

 = 224. 



Indiana — Mitchell, i ; La Porte, 3 = 4. 



Michigan — Dowagiac, Cass Co., 13. 



* Mamm. Adirondack Reg., 1886, p. 265. 



