THE H0T7gS. 



one, for though several attempted it, one considerably excelled 

 the rest. I am not sure that admiration of the music influ- 

 enced them, for, from the funny facetious way in which it was 

 done, I should rather say it was out of mockery, or at least, 

 from a love of imitation. Yet the result was very pleasing; 

 far inferior to the canary's note in volume, strength, and sweet- 

 ness, it was perhaps superior to it in softness and delicacy. 

 Often have I listened to it with pleasure in the evening when 

 the canary was asleep, with its head beneath its wing; and 

 more than once have I observed a kitchen guest glance at the 

 canary, then look round in some astonishment and say, ' Is that 

 a bird, sir, singing p' One trustworthy person assured me that 

 he too had in his house a singing mouse. I have therefore little 

 doubt that if a young family of mice were brought up from the 

 first close to a canary, or some other songster, some of them 

 would learn to sing." 



In the case above quoted the mouse's tutor was a canary : 

 as regards the case mentioned by myself there had been for 

 several months before the occurrence of the harmony in the 

 fender, two able-bodied goldfinches in a room below, in fiall 

 song. I may as well mention that we set a trap for our musical 

 mouse, and that we made a capture ; whether it was the right 

 mouse and that the consciousness of being a prisoner put its 

 tiny pipes out, or whether it was just an ordinary mouse, we 

 had no means of ascertaining, as in spite of the most luxurious 

 feeding it never emitted anything more musical than a squeak. 

 The only fact in favour of the supposition that it was the 

 musician we had caught is, that we heard it no more. 



Is it possible, then, to teach a mouse to sing, or at least to 

 utter notes, which, though inferior to those of the canary in 

 volume, are superior to them in softness and delicacy ? It 

 would at least be worth the trouble of testing. A mouse about 

 to litter might be kept constantly in the same chamber with a 

 song bird, with little or no extra trouble ; even if it cost a little 

 pains, surely so great a marvel as a singing quadruped would 

 amply repay it. 



Before anything more, however, is said of the mouse's abilities, 

 and the best mode of cultivating and realizing them, a short chat 

 about mice generally, with their various habits and peculiarities, 

 may not be out of place. 



THE DORMOUSE. 



This little animal is placed by Mr. BeU and some other 



