304 AMERICAN WHITE-FOOTED MOUSE. 



dwellings, and even outhouses, and either confines itself to the woods, or 

 keeps near fences, stone-heaps, &c., but in partially deserted houses, or 

 in newly formed settlements, it seems to take the place of the common 

 mouse. Richardson states that in the fur countries it becomes an inmate 

 of the dwelling houses. Dr. Leitner, an eminent botanist, who, whilst 

 acting as surgeon in the army, was unfortunately killed in the Florida 

 war, informed us that whilst on a botanizing tour through Florida a few 

 years ago, he was frequently kept awake during a portion of the 

 night by the White-footed Mice which had taken possession of the huts of 

 the Indians and the log cabins of the early white settlers. We are under 

 an impression that in these localities the common cat, and the Norway 

 rat, were both absent ; as we have reason to believe that this species de- 

 serts premises whenever they are frequented by either of the above ani- 

 mals. We kept a pair of white Norway rats (Albino variety) separated 

 by a partition from an interesting family of white-footed mice, but before 

 we were aware of it, the rats gnawed through the partition and devour- 

 ed all our little pets. 



This is a timid and very gentle species ; we have seldom known it to 

 bite when taken into the hand, and have observed that in a state of con- 

 finement it suffered itself to be killed by the very carnivorous cotton-rat 

 (Sigmodo7i hispidum) M'ithout making any resistance. 



We are disposed to believe that this species produces at least two lit- 

 ters of young in a season, in the Northern States, and three, in the 

 Southern. In the State of New York we have seen the young every 

 month from May to September, and in Carolina a female that was 

 kept in confinement had young three times, first having three, at a 

 .second litter five, and having six at a third. 



The White-footed Mouse has many enemies. Foxes, wild-cats, and 

 owls, destroy it frequently ; the house-cat strays into the fields and 

 along fences in search of it. In Carolina some domesticated cats live 

 in the fields and woods in a partially wild state, avoiding houses al- 

 together ; these subsist on birds and the smaller rodentia, and this species 

 furnishes a considerable portion of their food ; but we are disposed to re- 

 gard the ermine (common ^veasel) as its most formidable and voracious 

 persecutor. We believe that the White-footed Mouse does not always 

 dig a burrow of its own, but that it takes possession of one dug by some 

 other small species ; in the Northern States, generally that of the chip- 

 ping squirrel. Be this as it may, it is certain that wherever the White- 

 footed Mouse can enter, the ermine can follow, and he not only feeds up- 

 on it, but destroys whole families. An ermine at one time made its es- 

 cape from us, carrying with it a small portion of a chain fastened around 



