442 J. B. CLELAND. 
It has been proved that the mice are cannibalistic in their 
habits, and this probably accounts for the relative absence 
of young. Another explanation is that they breed in the 
fields and in the dunnage, but not in the wheat stacks. 
Victoria: The special breeding time in the fields is not 
known, and breeding in the wheat stacks was not notice- 
able. 
South Australia: We have no knowledge of breeding 
times. Very few immature mice have been seen in the 
stacks, and hardly any nests discovered until about two 
months ago, since when a few only have been seen. During 
the past month or six weeks (October 9th, 1917), the num- 
ber of mice in wheat stacks has largely decreased. 
(6) Nature of damage done, e.g., to Wheat, Hay-stacks, 
Sown Grain, etc. 
New South Wales: The mice seem to have fed only on 
wheat, great quantities of which they destroyed. The bags, 
of course, were rendered quite useless by their depredations. 
The extent of damage to the wheat stacks has been con- 
siderable. When the mice in large numbers attacked the 
wheat, the stacks collapsed, and loose wheat was thrown 
out, rendering a great amount of labour necessary to put 
it in bags and in condition again. : 
In addition to the loss in wheat, bags and labour, it be- 
came necessary te build sheds to re-house the wheat, to 
make mice-proof fences to keep the mice out, and to destroy 
those inside the fence. It was also necessary to remove 
ereat quantities of the wheat from the plague affected areas 
to depots out of the danger zone, and until all this wheat 
is finally removed it is impossible to say to what the dam- 
age will amount. 
Mr. E. Harris informs me that the 1915-16 grain, which 
was harder through containing less moisture than the 
1916-17 wheat, was hardly touched at all by the mice. 
