OF WILD ANIMALS i6i 



neath, the five mice, with their heads close together in a droll- 

 looking group, looked out at him in surprise and curiosity, 

 and at first without attempting to run away. But very soon 

 it became our turn to be surprised. 



We found that these industrious little creatures had gathered 

 up every particle of their nest, and every seed of their winter 

 store, and carried all of it up into the seat of that buggy! 

 The nest had been carefully re-made, and the seed placed 

 close by, as before. Considering the number of journeys that 

 must have been necessary to carry all those materials over 

 the groimd, plus a climb up to the buggy seat, the industry 

 and agility of the mice were amazing. 



By way of experiment, we again removed the nest, and 

 while the mice once more took to the sage-brush, we collected 

 all the seed, and poured it in a pile upon the ground, as before. 

 During the following night, those indomitable little creatures 

 again carried nest and seed back into the buggy seat, just as 

 before! Then we gathered up the entire family of mice with 

 their nest and seed, and transported them to New York. 



Now, the reasoning of those wonderful little creatures, in 

 the face of new conditions, was perfectly obvious, (i) Finding 

 themselves suddenly deprived of their winter home and store 

 of food, (2) they scattered and fled for personal safety into the 

 tall grass and sage-brush. (3) At night they assembled for a 

 council at the ruins of their domicile and granary. (4) They 

 decided that they must in all haste find a new home, close by, 

 because (5) at all hazards their store of food must be saved, to 

 avert starvation. (6) They explored the region aroimd the 

 tent and camp-fire, and (7) finally, as a last resort, they ven- 

 tured to climb up the thills of the buggy. (8) After a full ex- 

 ploration of it they found that the box under the seat afforded 

 the best winter shelter they had found. (9) At once they 

 decided that it would do, and without a moment's delay or 

 hesitation the whole party of five set to work carrying those 

 seeds up the thills — a fearsome venture for a mouse — and (10) 

 there before daybreak they deposited the entire lot of seeds. 



