MISCHIEF OF MEADOW-MOUSE 53 
water, the trails are often defined across it by 
streaks where the animals swim from side to 
side. 
The normal number of young averages about 
six, brought forth in an underground burrow. 
Prairie and pine mice. The prairie-mouse 
(No..2) differs only slightly from No. 1. It is 
a little smaller, the rough tail is shorter, its 
two colors are more sharply contrasted, and the 
general pelage coarser. The color of the under 
parts shades into a buff or cinnamon, and in 
winter becomes gray. It is confined to the 
central Mississippi valley, where is produced 
more than half the corn, oats and winter wheat 
of the country; and two closely related species 
extend the range of mischief to the dry plains 
west and northwest. These prairie-mice have 
an especially fine opportunity for damage, and 
in the winter are more destructive to trees than 
the M. pennsylvanicus. Fortunately, there- 
fore, they are less productive, having usually 
only three or four young at a time, and the long 
summer droughts and extreme winters of the 
interior West further limit reproduction. 
The typical pine mouse or red-backed mouse 
