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



Description — General color of upper parts brown, somewhat variable 

 in shade (usually from dull cinnamon to isabella color); middle 

 of back darker brown than sides; ears brown with a faint whitish 

 edging when closely examined, occasionally a few whitish hairs 

 at anterior bases of ears, but often absent; a blackish spot at the 

 base of the whiskers; hairs on under parts of body white at tips, 

 the bases plumbeous gray; the general color of under parts white 

 or grayish white according to the condition of the pelage; feet 

 white; upper surface of tail brown with narrow white edge, under 

 surface white; tip of tail pencillate. 



Measurements — Total length, 6.87 to 7.50 in. (175 to 190 mm.); tail 

 vertebrae, 3.75 to 4 in. (80 to 100 mm.); hind foot, .80 to .87 in. 

 (20 to 22 mm.). 



The Canadian White-footed Mouse occurs within our limits in 

 the Pine regions of northern Wisconsin, where it is common in deep 

 woods. It may be looked for near water courses, among rocks, and 

 about old logs. A favorite resort of this mouse is in and about old 

 log cabins. So far as known, its habits differ but little from other 

 Wood Mice belonging to the genus. In Wisconsin it not uncommonly 

 makes its nest in a hollow log or stump, or in openings between the 

 logs of old cabins. In such places the nest is in the middle of a rounded 

 mass of grass often mixed with leaves and small pieces of bark. 



Ernest Thompson Seton in writing of the habits of the closely allied 

 northern form, P. m. arcticus, which undoubtedly differ little if any 

 from that of gracilis, says,* 'When the nest is disturbed so that the 

 mother runs out, she commonly carries off some or even all of her 

 brood attached to her teats. This, however, is not her regular mode 

 of carrying them about, but is rather due to the fact that the young 

 when very small attached themselves firmly to the teat, almost in mar- 

 supial style, and the mother has not time to disengage herself if sud- 

 denly driven forth. Most of the Deermice carry their young in the 

 mouth, one at a time, when they move them, just as a cat does her 

 kittens." 



Specimens examined from Wisconsin and adjoining states : 

 Wisconsin — Solon Springs, 4; Spread Eagle, 4; Lac Vieux Desert, 

 Vilas Co., 11; (M. P. M.) Upper St. Croix Lake, Douglas Co., 7; 

 St. Croix Dam, 6; Eagle River, 2; Mercer, i; Namekagan River, 

 Burnett Co., 9; Marinette Co., 2; Cataline, 2; Divide, Vilas Co., 



4 = 52. 

 Michigan — Park Siding, 4. 



*Life Histories of Northern Animals, I, 1909, p. 496. 



