THE FIELD MOUSE 523 



It seems to be at least partially gregarious. Mr G. Bolam 

 states that it appears to live in pairs, and the young associate 

 with the parents until a considerable age {Bradford Set. Journ., 

 Jan. 1 9 [ 2, 2 1 3). Dr Henry Laver finds that the work of storing 

 provisions is shared by a company, and that fourteen or fifteen 

 may sometimes be dug out of the burrow. Consequently in 

 captivity a large number may be kept together, the males, 

 females, and young sleeping together in perfect amity, and the 

 latter being even fed indiscriminately^ by the mothers,^ as found 

 by Mr R. M. Harrington. These observations indicate that 

 the wild male is not dangerous to his family, but not 

 necessarily that he resides with them. The fact that the 

 dams would suckle the young of the colony promiscuously 

 might result from the confusion' resulting from a mixed 

 mdnage, in which identification of any particular offspring 

 would be impossible to keep up. The observations show, 

 however, that the mice are extremely sociable and good 

 tempered, friendly to strangers of their own species, and that 

 their system is quite opposed to that of the exclusive Water Rat. 



Its dietary is of the usual wide murine type, ranging from 

 roots, bulbs, nuts, and berries to members of its own species,* but 

 avoiding the grass-stalks beloved of Grass Mice. It is a great 

 plague in cornfields and gardens, especially to early sown peas. 



According to Mr Barrington's ^ observations these mice 

 seldom feed on blades of grass, but more often on the roots ; 

 they eat clover and dandelion leaves, while the unexpanded 

 dandelion flower seemed to be esteemed a great delicacy ; 

 also milk, oats, wheat, barley, chestnuts, beech nuts, walnuts, 

 arbutus berries, gooseberries, apples, grapes, and every variety 

 of fruit ; almonds were not much liked ; the captives liked to 

 tear a lot of grass to pieces, Mr Adams describes his captives 

 as peeling but not eating horse-chestnuts, refusing apples and 



' Observations of this sort made on captive animals under artificial conditions 

 must be applied with great care to wild individuals. ^ Zoologist, 1882, 121-3. 



^ Cows are quite sociable and gregarious animals, and, if allowed to rear their 

 calves, are attached only to their own young. But if a number of cows and calves 

 be confined in a yard for a very few hours they soon lose the power of distinguishing 

 their own young, and promiscuous suckling results. 



* In eating a mouse it begins with the brain, and then eats a large hole in the 

 back, whereas shrews begin at the upper ribs, and then eat their way to the brain 

 (L. E. .A.dams, MS.). " Loc- cit 



