80 
On the Short-tailed Field Mouse. 
leng-th, " Lord Glenbervie became so alarmed about the iinal gucces=s 
of raising a forest, that we were instructed to pursaie e\'ery means we 
could think of, by cats, dogs, owls, poison, traps, &c. We were, rather 
than not accomplish our object, to cut up all the grass by the roots ; 
no expense was to be an obstacle, even if the cost should be more 
than the enclosing, paling, and planting — so anxious was his Lordshij) 
for the success of the undertaking!" — "Operations were nnmediately 
commenced, with traps and baits, of various kinds; with poison, witli 
dogs and cats, but all to no purpose. At length, a person hit upon a 
simple, and eventually, a very efficacious mode. Having, in digging 
a hole in the ground some tune preAaous, obsen-ed, that some mice, 
Avhich happened to fall in, could not get out again, the idea of forming 
similar holes was suggested — he tried it accordingly, and found it to 
answer." 
In short, holes about two feet long and ten inches broad at the top, 
and somewhat larger every way at the bottom, were made at twenty 
yards apart, over about 32(i0 acres of plantation; persons went round 
early in the morning, to destroy such mice as might be found in the 
holes. " In this way, besides what the owls, hawks, magpies, and 
weasels, took out of the holes — and several of these depredators lost 
their lives in attempting to seize their prey, — 30,000 mice were paid 
for by govermnent; nor were thev extirpated until they had destroyed, 
in four enclosures, amounting only to 1700 acres, the astonishing 
number of 200,000 five year old oaks, together with an immense num- 
l)er of acorns, and young seedlings." 
"It is said by Naturalists," observes Mr. B. "that the beaver will 
fell trees with his teeth, but I have never seen an account of mice 
felling oak trees, yet I have seen many trees 
seven or eight feet high, and an inch and a half in 
diameter, cut do^^'n by them. When examining 
for the thick part of the root, below where it was 
bitten off, I could never fmd any part of it left, so 
that it is very probable it was eaten by them. I 
have by me, several trees, so cut down, for the in- 
spection of any person, who maj^ bo desirous of 
witnessing with his own eyes, the wonderfid pow- 
ers of so diminutiA^e a creature as the mouse, in 
felling trees." 
I had before heard that mice occasionally 
gnawed young ash trees, but I supposed that 
fUl they did so merely in play perhaps — but the 
M xr,* above account appeared so extra- 
ordinary, that I Avrote to Mr. Bil- 
|M^;4, bngton on the subject, and he was 
,l-,t^v-^^<^^ kind enough to forward some spe- 
'^ 
ciniens of oak which had been cut 
down; one, thsit from ^\'hich the 
accompanying sketch (12) was ta- 
ken, measures 8f inches in circumference at the collar, the place where 
the mice commenced their attack on it. E. M. 
