344 WILSON'S MEADOW MOUSE. 



shallow holes under them, and discovered some distance up between the 

 stalks, the remains of cobs and kernels, showing that they had been 

 doing no friendly work for the farmer." 



We suspect, however, that the mischief occasioned to the nursery by 

 this species is infinitely greater than that arising from any depredations 

 it commits on wheat or corn-fields. 



The nests of this arvicola are always near the surface ; sometimes 

 two or three are found under the same stump. We have frequently 

 during summer, observed them on the surface in the meadows, where 

 they were concealed by the over-shadowing grasses. They are com- 

 posed of about a double handful of leaves of soft grasses, and are of an 

 oval shape, with an entrance on the side. 



Wilson's Meadow-Mouse, swims and dives well. During a freshet 

 which covered some neighbouring meadows, we observed several of 

 them on floating bunches of grass, sticks, and marsh weeds, sitting in 

 an upright posture as if enjoying the sunshine, and 'we saw them leav- 

 ing these temporary resting places and swimming to the neighbouring 

 high grounds with great facility ; a stick thrown at them on such occa- 

 sions will cause them to dive like a musk-rat. 



This species does not, in any part of the United States, visit dwellings 

 or outhouses, although Richardson states that it possesses this habit in 

 Canada. We have scarcely ever met \vith it on high grounds, and it 

 seems to avoid thick vi^oods. 



It produces young three or four times during the summer, from two to 

 five at a birth. As is the case with the Florida rat and the white-footed 

 mouse, the young of this species adhere to the teats, and are in this way 

 occasionally dragged along by the mother. We would, however, here 

 remark that this habit, which is seen in the young of several animals, 

 is by no means constant. It is only when the female is suddenly 

 surprised and driven from her nest whilst suckling her young, that 

 they are carried off" in this manner. The young of this species that we 

 had in confinement, after satisfying themselves, relinquished their hold, 

 and permitted the mother to run about without this incimibrance. 



This species is easily caught in wire-traps baited with a piece of 

 apple, or even meat ; we have occasionally found two in a trap at the 

 same time. When they have become accustomed to the confinement of 

 a cage they are somewhat familiar, feed on grass and seeds of different 

 kinds, and often come to the bars of the cage to receive their food. 



They frequently sit erect in the manner of marmots or squirrels, and 

 while in this position clean their faces with their paws, continuing thus 

 engaged for a quarter of an hour at a time. They drank a good deal 



