APPENDIX. 



27 



stronger. The smell of mice is not to be got over by any 

 means. No matter how clean they are kept, or how judiciously 

 fed, the bucks will and do smell ; but so do buck rabbits. 

 And what fancier allows himself to be debarred from keeping 

 a tom cat by the odour which his pet diffuses ? Plenty of 

 clean pine sawdust in the cage will do all that is possible in 

 mitigation, and seed- and corn-fed mice are specially in- 

 offensive. 



The aim of the breeder is to get his mice as large as 

 possible; therefore they must not be allowed to breed until 

 they are at least three months old, and the buck should not 

 be left with the doe until she kindles. A doe with young 

 should have plenty of sweet bread and milk, and some clean 

 short hay in which to make her nest. 



Sunlight soap catalogue-boxes make excellent mouse-cages, 

 arranged with a front of wire, such as all cage-makers will 

 put together for about Is. The ordinary wheel cages are to 



Fig. 4. Breeding- and Stock-cage. 



be eschewed, as being too confined, and making the mice shy. 

 I think bucks are just as well kept in an open-fronted cage, 

 provided it is warmly backed and sided, and that they have 

 plenty of chopped hay to lie on. The open wire front keeps 

 them airy. Does should always have a sleeping apartment. 



Great diversity of opinion prevails as to the most suitable 

 form of show-cage. Those with rounded wire fronts and wood 

 back and sides, painted black outside, the wires done with 

 black, and the inside painted light blue, certainly show the 

 mice off splendidly ; but mice which have been used to a dark 

 cage with a bedroom, often die of fright, and possibly of 

 cold after a few days in one of these cages. On the other 

 hand, it is very provoking for the judge to be obliged to 

 poke out the mouse from one compartment into another, and 

 perhaps after all 'be unable to get a clear view of it. So all 

 cages in two compartments sent to shows should have a 

 sliding shutter, by means of which the occupant can be 

 confined to one or other division while being inspected. 



