M \M M \i ENEMIES 01 M" I . 41 
in. blueberries, and cultivated grapes -how b somewhat mis 
cellaneous diet, A writer in Forest and Stream Btates that in the 
stomach of a gra> fox 1/ iteus), taken at Mil ford, 
Conn., lit- found rabbit hair, parts of a held mouse, sweet corn, piece* 
<>( apple, remains of :i woodcock, and some lea^ 
That shrews destroy many field mice is certain, although the evi 
dence is largely circumstantial. It is known that the} <-at dead mice 
that have been caught in traps. It 1- proved that they are able to 
capture a live field mouse in its burrow by the fact that when both 
animals are confined in the same cage tin- shrew kills and partly eat* 
the other animal. Shrews are often trapped in tin* burrows of field 
mice, and it is highly probable that thej habitually feed upon the 
rodents. As the} eat only the flesh and blood of their victims it is 
difficult to identify their food 1»> stomach examinations. 
The common brown rat {Mus norvegii us) is an enemy of field mice 
where both occur in the same locality. On the Potomac flats, south 
of Washington, D. ('.. both rats and meadow mice (.1/. pennsylvani 
are abundant. <)n various occasions, while trapping mice there. 
specimens in small cage trap- were destroyed by rats. Several times 
I had occasion to uncover burrows and runway- of the mice by 
removing piles of dry weed-. On the following mornings I found 
that rats had enlarged the burrows in pursuit of mice, and the 
remains of fur and stains of blood on the ground showed that the 
pursuit had been successful. It is unfortunate that rats arc even 
worse pests than the field mice they destroy. 
Of the other wild mammals that destroy held mice — wolves, coy- 
ote-, lynxes, raccoon-, and opossum — it may be said that the mouse- 
eating habit is not always prominent and that their economic status 
can not he determined by it alone. On the whole, however, their 
genera] effect in checking the increase of rodent- must he regarded 
a- an important item to their credit. 
DOMKSIK MAMMALS. 
§ ime of the dome-tic animal- a — i-t in the destruction of held mice. 
Cattle and horses in pastures undoubtedly trample upon and destroy 
many mice, especially the young. Hogs in field- and wood lot- root 
them from burrows and nests and eat them. Aristotle mention- tin' 
ancient practice of turning -wine among mice "to root up their 
run-."'' But the more important of their enemies among dome-tie 
animals are clogs and cat-. 
Dogs follow the farmer to the held and at plowing and harvest are 
ready to pounce upon and kill every mouse that i- uncovered in fur- 
Forest and Stream, vol. ",. p. 464, I>e<-. 15, LS 
^ Aristotle's History of Animals. Book 6, chap. 30, p. L78, Bonn's edition, 
Loudon. 1862. 
