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134 J. B. CLELAND. 
they devoured everything capable of giving them nourish- 
ment. Any provisions not protected from them were soon 
destroyed by them. Any stacks of hay were soon ren- 
dered quite unfit for use. As the mice became more nu- 
merous they became more ravenous, and attacked, killed 
and ate pigeons in their cages, and chickens and even odd 
confined fowls were said to have been killed and eaten by 
them. If any mice were trapped or disabled they were 
soon devoured by other mice. It was quite the usual thing 
for drovers, or bushmen camping out, to be disturbed at 
night by mice nibbling their fingers and hair. Trapping, 
in the ordinary way, was of no avail, though the mice could 
be poisoned readily. After a fair poisoning I have heard of 
from two to three fair-sized washing tubs having been 
gathered up. About July they became miserable and weak, 
and began to die. Anything giving out warmth attracted 
them. They could be seen huddled together, looking mean 
and miserable, under anything affording cover or protec- 
tion. They seemed to be suffering from some disease. The 
eyesight often appeared to be affected, and many of them 
seemed to be quite blind. By the end of August the plague 
had passed on from Mungindi, and the place seemed to be 
unusually free of mice. I am of the opinion that starvation 
largely assisted the disease to eradicate them. At any rate, 
diseased or poverty-stricken mice could not be seen in the 
vanguard. Breeding only occurred where the mice were 
vigorous. ’’ 
Iu answer to an enquiry of mine as to the species of mouse 
responsible, he added—: 
“There is not any doubt but that the mice were the 
ordinary house mice, taken to the fields. They over-ran 
both fields and houses. Odd marsupial mice were found at 
the time, but they were rare, and it seemed were driven out 
by the ravages of the house mice, which constituted the 
plague.”’ | 
