338 



THE RODENTS OR GNAWING ANIMALS. 



and can even walk a few steps while thus erect, 

 occasionally supporting itself a little with its tail as 

 it moves. It can also swim, though it enters the 

 water only under compulsion. It is good-natured, 

 not treacherous, and does not resemble its vicious, 

 deceitful, biting relatives, the Rats, in the least; it is 

 inquisitive and investigates everything very care- 

 fully; it is cunning and intelligent, soon perceiving 

 where it is tolerated, and in such places becomes so 

 used to Man that it runs about its business in human 

 presence, as if nothing menaced or frightened it. 

 Harmonious sounds please and attract it and cause 

 it to forget all timidity and oftentimes to leave its 

 retreat, in order to approach nearer the source of its 

 enjoyment. It appears in broad daylight in rooms 

 in which instruments are played, and rooms regularly 

 devoted to music are favorite haunts with it. 



Several periodicals have published articles about 

 so-called singing Mice, and I also have received 

 a few accounts of such specimens. All reports 

 agree in that in some places a Common Mouse may 

 be found which utters its natural chirping note in 

 a way which resembles the song of a bird. Some 

 people speak of the song of the Mouse with enthu- 

 siasm, and compare it to that of a Canary or even of 

 a Nightingale; others judge less enthusiastically and 

 are probably more nearly right. Herr Schacht, a 

 well-known educator and reliable and well-informed 

 observer, possessed such a singing Mouse for some 

 time. It usually sang a>t dusk but often only at 

 night. Its song did not bear the slightest resem- 

 blance to the bright song of a Canary or the deep 

 trills of a Nightingale. It was nothing but "a twit- 

 tering, a mixture of long-drawn, squeaking, piping 

 sounds," which in the quiet of night could be heard 

 at a distance of twenty paces. The' song of another 

 Mouse, observed by Herr Mueller, another tutor, 

 consisted of "soft, whistling sounds, uttered slowly 

 or in a more lively manner, in the latter case remind- 

 ing one distinctly of a bird's song, but being much 

 weaker." This Mouse was excited by rnusic and 

 when" listening to it in the daytime would some- 

 times whistle. Both singing Mice which I observed 

 were males, and it therefore appears not, improbable 

 that in this case also the sweet gift of song has been 

 bestowed on the male sex alone. Pechuel-Loesche 

 simultaneously and for months observed two singing 

 Mice living at liberty in a kitchen. One of them 

 produced only an irregular chirping and trills, mixed 

 with a low snarling, smacking and occasional deeper 

 murmuring sounds; the other had softer tones at its 

 command, some of which it could prolong for some 

 time, so that it really produced an effect which was 

 melodious in a certain way. It certainly would be 

 more congruous to speak of "twittering" Mice than 

 of "singing" ones. 



Partiality AH agreeable qualities of our do- 

 of Mice for mestic companion are unfortunately 

 Dainties. more than counterbalanced by its 

 fondness for choice and delicate food. One can 

 hardly imagine a daintier feeder than a Mouse 

 which can range at will in a well filled larder. It 

 proves in the most unequivocal way that its sense 

 of taste is highly developed. It gives preference 

 to sweetmeats of all kinds, milk, meat, cheese, fats, 

 fruit and grains, and where it has to choose it 

 takes the best among the good things. Water it 

 does not drink at all if it can procure food contain- 

 ing liquid enough to meet its physical necessities, 

 and even when its diet is dry, it rarely drinks un- 

 mixed water, but it sips sweet beverages of all kinds. 



Destructive- The damage the Common Mouse en- 

 nessof tails by the eating of provisions is 

 Mice. slight, on the whole; its principal 



harmfulness arises from its abominable habit of 

 gnawing all kinds of objects. Mice sometimes work 

 dire destruction among valuable collections of tex- 

 tiles, rare fabrics, books or natural curiosities; if 

 their propensities are not checked by all possible 

 means, they can do incalculable damage. 



Fecund- The Common Mouse is exceedingly 

 ityofthe prolific. Litters of young Mice in- 

 Mpuae. elude from four to six and of^en 



eight young, and each female gives birth to five or 

 six litters a year, so that the immediate progeny 

 from one mother number at least thirty in one year. 

 The young are exceedingly small at birth and quite 

 translucent; their growth is rapid, however; between 

 the seventh and eighth day their hair begins to ap- 

 pear, but their eyes are not opened until the thir- 

 teenth day. They remain in the nest but a few days 

 longer, and then proceed to earn their living on 

 their own account. 



The Mouse has become a domestic animal in the 

 true sense of the word with the inhabitants of 

 China and Japan, who attain wonderful results in 

 the breeding of animals and the culture of plants. 

 Haacke writes as follows concerning the Mice which 

 of recent years have been exported from these two 

 countries: "From time to time a Hamburg dealer 

 in animals sends me two breeds of Common Mice, 

 which he calls Chinese Climbing Mice and Japanese 

 Dancing Mice. It- is true that the first are distin- 

 guished , only by their differing colors, for their 

 climbing accomplishments are not greater than 

 those of other Mice. The color, however, is sub- 

 ject to many variations. Besides individuals of uni- 

 form gray, light yellow and white color, I have had 

 specimens mottled with gray and white, black and 

 white, yellow and white, and blue and white. Tri- 

 colored Mice seem to be very rare. It is a known 

 fact that we also have white, black and yellow Mice 

 and occasionally also pied ones, and the Chinese 

 have profited by the variations of the Common 

 Mouse also, to satisfy their fancy in breeding ani- 

 mals. The Japanese, however, who are no less 

 enthusiasts on this point, know how to transform 

 the Common Mouse into a really admirable animal. 

 The Japanese Dancing Mice, which perfectly justify 

 their appellation, also occur in all the described 

 colors. But what distinguishes them most is their 

 innate habit of running around, describing greater 

 or smaller circles, or more frequently whirling 

 around on the same spot with incredible rapidity. 

 Sometimes two or, more rarely, three Mice join in 

 such a dance, which usually begins at dusk and is at 

 intervals resumed during the night, but it is usually 

 executed by a single individual." 



The Natural Whatever one may say, the direst 



Enemies of foe of the Mouse is a Cat. In old 

 Mice. ruins the Owl is the Cat's faithful 



ally in its warfare against Mice, and in the country, 

 Polecats, Weasels, Hedgehogs and Shrews render 

 good service in the same direction; better aid than 

 any kind of trap, at any rate. 



The Wood The Wood Mouse and the Meadow 

 Mouse and its Mouse possess most of the charac- 

 Range. teristics of the Common Mouse. The 



first named is distributed all over Europe and cen- 

 tral Asia, with the exception of very high latitudes, 

 and in mountainous regions it is found at an altitude 

 of 6,000 feet above the sea. It lives in the depths dr 



