THE COMMON MOUSE. 



inftantly flies to its retreat. No animal is fo incapable of felf-defence as the 

 Moufe, nor has any one more enemies: befides the great deftru&ion occafioned 

 by the contrivances of man, it is in conftant danger from the attacks of the 

 Cat, the Owl, the Hawk, the Weafel, the Snake, and the Rat, with many 

 others, which deftroy this fpecies by millions ; in ftiort, it would be foon 

 extinct, were it not for its natural fears and aftoniming fecundity. The 

 Moufe brings forth its young many times in the year, and at all feafons, 

 and produces from fix to ten at a litter; the young ones are produced 

 without hair, but are able to fhift for themfelves in about a fortnight after 

 their birth. Ariftotle gives us an idea of their amazing increafe, by afiuring 

 us, that, having put a female Moufe, with young, into a vefTel of corn, in 

 fome time after he found one hundred and twenty Mice, all fprung from one 

 dam (a.) 



The Moufe is not only an inhabitant of man's dwellings; it is alfo 

 frequently found, in great abundance, in farmers' yards, among the ricks of 

 corn; but it fhuns thofe ricks which are infefted with Rats. They are 

 generally found moft numerous on the fouth-werl; fide of the rick, which is 

 moft expofed to the rain, and may often be feen in the evening, venturing 

 forth to drink the little drops of rain or dew, which hang at the ends of the 

 ftraw. As the Moufe quickly arrives at a ftate of maturity, the duration of 

 its life is but ftiort, feldom exceeding the term of two or three years. The 

 Moufe inhabits all parts of the world, except the arctic regions: it has 

 always been found in almoft all parts of the old continent, and has been 

 exported to the new (b.) 



The ingenuity of man has contrived various means of deftroying this 

 little animal ; the curious reader will find a great variety of traps, adapted to 

 this purpofe, very minutely defcribed by Gefner. 



A beautiful and elegant white variety of the Moufe is fometimes met 

 with, the eyes of which are bright fcarlet, like the eyes of the White Rabbit, 

 and, from their prominence and brilliancy, make a very fplendid appearance 

 among the fnowy fur of the animal. 



(a) Pennant. (b) Lisle's Husbandry, vol. i. p. 391. 



