ENEMIES AND AILMENTS. 



13 



phosphorus cause but a slight smell, as the bodies dry up and become 

 desiccated, as it were. Corrosive poisons, as arsenic for instance, 

 allow the body to rot and so cause decay of a most offensive nature. 

 We give these hints as it is very probable that the keepers of fancy 

 mice on a large scale will find them useful. Great care must, 

 however, be taken in the use of poisons, as at times we have heard 

 of fanciers who have poisoned their stock of fancy mice as well as 

 the wild ones. 



In the case of fancy mice, the first enemy — the cat— is easily 

 guarded against, as she cannot get through a space less than two 

 inches in width. Rats sometimes, although not often, cause trouble, 

 and with them a morsel of singed or "frizzled" bacon or cheese 

 proves a stronger temptation than grain, and consequently they are 

 easily trapped. They also have a great antipathy to tar or car- 

 bolic acid, generally giving places strongly scented with these articles 

 a very wide berth. Where it is not convenient to use these, wire 

 netting of fin. mesh is an efficient safeguard. 



Wild mice are about the greatest living enemies that the fancier 

 has to contend with, and the only plan to pursue with these is to 

 catch all you can, and to lay sheets of glass over the wired portion 

 of the cages in which the fancy animals are kept. If the wild ones 

 can gain access to those which are tame, they fight until one or both 

 are killed. In country places sometimes, though fortunately very 

 rarely, a stoat or weasel will obtain an entrance, but, as with the 

 wild mice, a sheet of glass is the best preventive of harm. 



Insects are sometimes present in dirty cages, but frequent 

 changes into clean ones soon gets rid of these unwelcome visitants. 

 A drop or two of carbolic acid on the floor of the cage, or a little 

 fine sulphur dusted amongst the sawdust, is a very good thing 

 where there are many insects. Cleanliness is, however, the best 

 cure. 



Roughness of coat and general debility are usually caused by 

 overcrowding in too small cages, and the remedy is patent. Plenty 

 of room, and not too many in a cage, is the remedy for this ailment. 

 If, however, it arises from old age, there is no cure. 



Asthmatical complaints, for which there is no cure, are caused by 

 • exposing the animals to damp and cold, and where this is not done 

 asthmatical mice are scarce. The so called "singing" by mice is 

 said to be the result of an asthmatical affection. Skin diseases some- 

 times appear, and for these, as for the preceding, there is no cure. 

 In all cases where a bad and incurable disease exists in any animal, 

 the most merciful thing for it is a sudden and as painless a death 

 as can be devised. 



