32 



FANCY MICE. 



paragraphs descriptive of " sprints " indulged in by arbiters 

 whose material has eluded them, are by no means uncommon 

 in show reports, and the odds are always on the mouse. 

 Mice which escape in their own homes can generally be 

 caught again with tolerable ease, as they are sure to return 

 at night to the place where their companions are kept, and 

 may then be trapped ; but the trap set should not have too 

 strong a spring, or they may lose a part of their tails, after 

 which they present a lamentable appearance. If the doe is 

 to be sent to a show alone, do not take her straight away 

 from her young and send her, or she will very likely fret; 

 she should be allowed to get over the pang of bereavement 

 where her trouble is not increased by strange surroundings. 



Mice are astonishingly aifectionate and intelligent little 

 animals, and gregarious in a very high degree. This fact 

 may be proved by the way in which bucks, when kept alone, 

 will gnaw their cages to pieces and fret incessantly; while 

 if kept with a doe, or another buck to which they have 

 become accustomed, they will never make the least attempt to 

 get out of even the most flimsy cage. One mouse should not be 

 kept alone, in any case, if it is possible to avoid doing so, as 

 a solitary will never show such good bloom of coat as one 

 which shares a warm, snug nest with a companion. The does 

 make most beautiful little nests as a rule, the bucks generally 

 contenting themselves with burrowing into or under any 

 material provided. No show specimen, fit to win, will ever 

 turn out of a wet, dirty nest, so the sleeping-boxes must be 

 constantly cleaned and the bedding changed as soon as it 

 becomes sodden. A piece of white paper will afford does 

 great amusement, and the ingenuity with which they will 

 tear or bite it into minute shreds and line the inside of the 

 nest with it, is wonderful. 



Some mice are always sleek and showy, while others are as 

 invariably rough and frowsy ; and however good in itself one 

 of the latter may be, it is waste of time and money to exhibit 

 it. This rough and bad condition of coat may also be 

 induced by various causes in specimens which are naturally 

 beautiful, and among these causes probably the most 

 frequent are cold, improper feeding, and skin-irritation. 



Too much sop or soft food makes a mouse soft and flabby, 

 with distended body and open coat, while too dry and heating 

 a diet causes small sores to form on the skin, which give rise 

 to a distracting irritation. For the former state the remedy 

 is obvious, and for the latter a cooling medicine is required, 

 magnesia, as sold by chemists in penny or twopenny boxes, 

 being both cheap and useful. A very little may be mixed 

 with, or sprinkled over, the bread-and-milk, which should be 

 given two or three times a week. An excellent cooling medicine 

 is grass, which is generally appreciated by the patient. Most 

 mice will eat it, and many will also eat broccoli leaves, or even 



