THE COMMON MOUSE. 
457 
with, food, has been known to develop its carnivorous nature into cannibalism, eating the body 
of one of its companions that had died while in the cage. 
“ Y E little vulgar Mouse,” as it is quaintly termed by old Topsel, is a truly pretty little 
creature, with its brown-gray back, gray throat and abdomen, soft, velvety fur, its little bright 
black bead-like eyes, and squirrel-like paws. A detailed description of so familiar an animal 
would be quite unnecessary, and we will therefore proceed to its habits and manners. 
Like the rat, it frequents both town and country, doing an infinity of damage in the 
former, but comparatively little harm in the latter. In the country it attaches itself mostly to 
farm-yards, where it gains access to the ricks, and when once firmly established, is not so easily 
dislodged as its larger relative, the rat. However, if the rick be kept under cover, the Mice 
cannot make any lengthened stay, for the coper keeps off the rain, on which they chiefly 
depend for drink, and they are then obliged to leave the stack in search of water. If the rick 
be placed on staddles, it will be then safe from these little pests. 
In the town they are not so objectionable as in the country, for they can only annoy the 
human inhabitants, and cannot inflict real damage upon them. They are bold little creatures 
in their way, although easily startled ; and, if permitted to carry on their noisy sport undis- 
turbed, run about an inhabited room with perfect nonchalance. 
In old buildings in which the walls are papered over canvas, Mice run scuffling and 
squeaking between the canvas and the plaster, as if they were the legitimate owners of the 
place, and the tenants were only located there in order to cater for their benefit. Many a wall 
is riddled with holes that have been made by irritated occupants making furious lunges — 
always unsuccessfully, by the way — with all sorts of instruments, at the wiry little creatures 
as they scurry about behind the paper. 
They are odd little animals, and full of the quaintest gamesomeness, as may be seen by 
any one who will only sit quite still and watch them as they run about a room which they 
specially affect. They are to the full as inquisitive as cats, and will examine any new piece 
of furniture with great curiosity. 
Mice are very easily tamed, and, as far as my own experience goes, the common brown 
Mouse is more readily brought under subjection, and more docile, than the white or albino 
variety. I have kept many a set of Mice, brown, white, and mottled, and have always found 
them to be very susceptible of kindness. To tame a young brown Mouse is an easy task ; but 
it must be remembered that, as all Mice are very cleanly animals, the strictest care is needful 
to rid their cage of all impurity. Their bedding should be constantly changed, and the false 
floor of their cage should be double, so that, while one is in use, the other is getting dry after 
being thoroughly washed. Any soft substance, such as hay, cotton wool, or rags, will suffice 
for their bedding ; but I have found that black cotton wool, or black “wadding,” as it is some- 
times termed, is fatal to Mice in the course of a single night. Why it should be so, I cannot 
venture to guess, but that such is the case I have had practical experience. 
Mice are cunning creatures, and when they once have taken alarm at a trap, cannot be 
induced to put themselves within such peril, no matter how strong the inducement may be. 
For a while it is possible to entrap them by changing the kind of bait as soon as they have 
begun to learn the result of eating that particular substance ; but in a few weeks the trap 
must be entirely removed until the animals have forgotten it. 
It is a marvellously prolific animal, producing its young several times in the course of the 
year, and at a very early age. The nests are made in any sheltered spot, and formed from any 
soft substance, such as rags, paper, or wool, that the mother can procure. On taking up 
some boards in my own room, I once found a Mouse-nest nearly as large as a man’s head, com- 
posed wholly of scraps of paper, and containing six or seven tiny red, semi-transparent mouse- 
lets, through whose little bodies one could almost see the substance of the nest on which they 
were lying. Another Mouse-nest which I discovered, was made in an old disused harmonicon, 
which had been put away in a cupboard, and was filled by the Mice with empty nutshells, the 
refuse of a bag of hazel-nuts which had been placed in the same cupboard ; no very enviable 
bed, as one would fancy, and the reason for its construction not at all obvious. 
