16 



rocks, old logs and other hiding places in the dense, evergreen for- 

 ests. I have trapped it at Spruce Knob, Cheat Bridge, Cranberry 

 Glades, and in great numbers at "Hanging Rock," aa old hunters' 

 camp on the mountain ridge between Cherry and Cranberry rivers. 

 This species has a much shorter tail than the deer mouse found on 

 the lower levels and the color of the back and sides is more of a 

 sooty brown. 



"White-Footed or Deer Mouse, Peromyscus leucopus noveboraceTV- 

 sis Fisch. 



This common and handsome little mouse of decidious woods is 

 more often known by the name of "woods mouse" than any other. 

 It is found in all parts of the State below the spruce belt. It lives 

 in the woods but occasionally invades cleared lands where it some- 

 times enters houses, especially new buildings near woodlands. The 

 upperparts and sides are russet or fawn-colored and the under- 

 parts are pure white. The ears are large and the eyes large and 

 bright. It is a nocturnal species, moving about by day only when 

 disturbed. It is usually harmless although it sometimes steals a 

 little grain and it a great gnawer when it chances to enter a house. 



Surber's Harvest Mouse, Beithrodantomys lecontii impiger 

 Bangs. 



The first specimens known of this form of a common, southern 

 harvest mouse were taken at White Sulphur Springs by Thaddeus 

 Surber. Specimens have since been collected in one or two other 

 localities. 



This tiny mouse lives in open fields and is inoffensive in its hab- 

 its. In its general appearance it resembles a white-footed mouse 

 but is much smaller. 



Pennsylvania Wood Rat, Neotoma pennsylvanica Stone. 



This, our only native rat, was once far more common in West 

 Virginia than it is at present. However, it is still abundant in a 

 few localities. In earlj'^ days it frequently came into the houses of 

 settlers and had a habit of carrying away dried fruits and almost 



