THE WHITE-FOOTED OR DEER MOUSE. 119 
would then hover awhile about the bank, and one after an- 
other dive into their burrows and disappear for the night. 
Another interesting period in the life of this bird is when 
their young begin to fly. No mother looks upon the first 
steps of her child with more interest and pleasure than do 
these birds seemingly upon the first flight of their offspring. 
For a few days the young appear at the entrance of their 
burrow, watching the old birds in their flight as they pass 
and repass, and stopping now and then to leave them food, 
and are at last induced to leave the bank and try their wings, 
when they are followed by their parents until they are safely 
perched upon some object, to receive in a chattering way, 
their praise and congratulation for the success in their first 
attempt in flying. The young are fed for a few days upon 
the wing, and when abandoned to seek their own food may 
be seen in pairs or small parties, two or three miles from 
the place of their nativity, skimming over the fields and 
pastures. Their food consists entirely of insects. 
Among the festal days observed by the Greeks, there was 
one called *the Welcome of the Swallows," when the chil- 
dren would march through the streets with garlands of roses 
and with musie to receive presents, and as this swallow is 
one of those interesting "guests of summer" which always 
Visits us, and as there is not even a suspicion that he is 
harmful to man, let us welcome him. 

THE WHITE-FOOTED OR DEER MOUSE. 
BY J. D. CATON. 
Tuts species of the Mus family has been noted for two 
characteristics, not confined to it alone but still rare. One is 
that it is an active tree-climber, and very frequently makes its 
nest upon or in trees, sometimes at a considerable distance 
from the ground; and the other is its mode of transporting 

