APPENDIX. 



49 



they are very valuable as an anti-scorbutic, the mice seeming 

 delighted to suck the juice if fairly sweet. Apples are also 

 liked ; and some mice, but not all, will eat pears and plums. 

 Such animal food as ants' eggs and grubs, though mice are 

 very greedy after it, is extremely provocative of skin-disease; 

 and well-fed mice do not need any such stimulant — as unne- 

 cessary under conditions of restricted exercise as beer for a 

 six-months baby. 



Fits are not uncommon as a cause of death among mice, 

 and the dead mouse illustrated in Fig. 16 is an example of 



Fig. 15. Appearance of Dying Mouse. 



demise from this affection, the stiffly-rigid hind-leg being very 

 characteristic. Once dead, however, it matters little to the 

 most curious what caused the catastrophe, and fits, difficult 

 of treatment in all animals, are quite incurable in mice. 



Pneumonia, caused by a sudden chill, carries off many 

 show specimens — accustomed to a cosy nest at home, and 

 turned out of it into a one-compartment show-cage, which 

 very likely stands for two days in a draught. 



There is one attitude, assumed by almost all sick mice, and 

 illustrated in Fig. 15, which is unmistakable to the experi- 

 enced mouse-keeper, and at once warns him that his mouse 

 at any rate has won its last prize, and will travel no more. 



