RATS AND MICE 221 



and tails, as may be seen by referring to the Canadian Jumping 

 Mouse shown in the photograph. In their movements upon the 

 ground these small mammals resemble the Kangaroos treated of in 

 the last chapter. As a rule the Jumpers, as we may popularly 

 designate them, are inhabitants of "open and dry districts, such as 

 grassy steppes or sandy deserts," and are so coloured that their 

 bodies resemble the environment frequented. 



The species illustrated, which represents this interesting family 

 of small rodents, has a wide distribution in North America, but this 

 animal, according to Mr. Ingersoll, is a dweller in woods and fields, 

 and not deserts. It is also non-gregarious. 



In colour it is dark on the back, reddish-yellow on the flanks, and 

 whitish on the under-parts. It attains a body length of about three 

 inches, the almost naked tail being some five inches longer. 



It is during late Summer that this Mouse constructs its home, 

 and this consists of a globular ball of grass. This homestead is 

 tenanted until the approach of Winter, "when the pair find a deep 

 cranny among rocks or dig a hole a little way into the ground, and 

 there, in a snug bed of shredded bark, leaves, and so forth, go sound 

 asleep with the first severe frost, and never wake up before May-day." 

 The sleep, therefore, is of long duration, and it is extremely 

 sound. Probably no animal exhibits a deeper slumber — at any rate 

 among American kinds. 



The great majority of rodents are of nocturnal habits, but the 

 species under review differs in this respect, as it may often be located 

 during the day, and especially towards early evening. 



Its movements are always well worth watching, for it possesses 

 a wonderful knack of leaping, or Jumping, a distance of several feet. 

 It exhibits considerable ingenuity in these movements, as sometimes 

 they take an irregular course, and the wary little beast will if closely 

 pursued by an enemy, instantly squat upon terra firma — or, as Mrs. 

 Brown has it, upon terra cotta — and so escape the attack of a Weasel, 

 Hawk, Owl, Snake or other predatory creature. 



Like the Dormouse, it rolls itself into a ball when about to sleep, 

 the feet being brought close together, the head snugly tucked near 

 the hind-quarters, and the long tail wrapped right round the 

 body. 



JERBOA, OR KANGAROO RAT.— This interesting little rodent is 

 also worthy of mention here. It has a somewhat wide distribution, 

 being found in Central Asia, India and Ceylon, South-East Europe, 



