Fes., 1912. _MammMats oF ILLINOIS AND Wisconsin — Cory. 179 
“For these causes have men invented many devises, snars, and gins, 
the generall wherof is called by the Latines Muscipula and by the Gre- 
tians Muspala and ALiagra, the divers and severall formes whereof I will 
not disdaine to set down. For the wise reader must consider that it is 
as necessary or rather more necessary for most men to know how to 
take mice, than how to take Elephants. 
“And although every woman, and silly Rat-ketcher can give instruc- 
tions enough therein, yet their knowledge cannot excuse my negligence 
if I should omit the inventions and devices of the auncient, whereby 
they delivered themselves from the annoiances of these beasts. And 
therefore first of al to declare the manner of ketching them . 
“And also it is reported of those which have tryed the same, that if 
Mice fall into a vessell without water, and remaine there a long time 
without meate, that then they devoure one another, but if they remaine 
there so long untill one among them all be left alone, that is to say the 
strongest of them all, and that he be suffered to go out, wheresoever 
hee shall finde any mice hee will eate them up, and they shall have much 
adoe to escape him, because he hath been so long accustomed unto 
them. I was told also of a certaine friend of mine, that a man of 
Senensis did set a purse in a hollow place, and made it to open and shut 
by some device, so that at length he tooke a mouse, which mouse hee fed 
onely with the flesh of Mice, and after he had fed it so a long time, he 
let it go, who killed all the Mice that he did meete, and was not satisfied 
with them, but went into every hole that he could find, and eat them 
up also. Also Mice are taken in vessels, from whence they cannot 
escape, upon the which vessell let there be put a small staffe, which is 
so cut in the middle, that she may onely hold her selfe by the meate, 
and when you have so doone, put the kernell of a Nut upon the middle 
of the staffe, to the which the Mouse comming, doth fall into the vessell 
with the staffe, and they will be stifeled if their be any Water: but if 
there be none she will be killed.” 
After devoting several more pages to methods of destroying Mice 
both with traps and poisons, he adds: 
“The Scythians were woont to be clad with the skinnes of mice and 
Wolves, and it is observed, that when mice cry and screeketh above 
their ordinary custome, it pressageth an alteration and change of the 
Weather, and thus much shall suffice for their naturall discourse.” 
Specimens examined from Il1linois and Wisconsin: 
, , Illinois — Chicago, 6; Olive Branch, Alexander Co., 2; (O.) Chicago, 
12= 20. 
Wisconsin — Beaver Dam, Dodge Co., 1; (O.) Lake Geneva, 8=9. 
