I II I COMMON Ml \Im»\\ M 
L5 
slope. In autumn, shortly before the first snowfall, the Eskimo 
women and children discover the bv means «»l pointed sticks. 
In tlii- way considerable quantities of food are gathered, which are 
boiled and eaten as a delicacy. "-The boiled roots have :i flavor like 
a boiled unripe sweet potato, and are very palatable during the long 
winter fare of meat and fish.* 1 
THREE TYPICAL SPECIES. 
I. I II I COMMON M I \l)<'\\ M« >i -1 . 
yicrotua i>< inisiti ftiiiiius i()nl. i (PI. l, I'm. 1 ). 
The most familiar of American species of Microtus is the common 
meadow mouse i M. pennsylvanietis). The average measurements of 
adults are about a- follow-: Total length, L70 nun. (6.6 inches) : tail 
vertebra?, 16 mm. (1.8 inches); hind foot, 21.2 mm. (0.83 inch). The 
tail i- always at leasl twice as long a- the hind foot. The fur is lon^r 
ami overlain with coarse black hairs. In summer the en-- overtop 
the fur. In winter the fur is longer, of a duller color, and almost 
conceal- the ears. The usual color above i> a dark brown, against 
which the black hairs are not conspicuous. This -hade- off gradually 
into gray or tawny on the under parts. The feet are -mall, the claws 
on the hind feel slightly larger than those on the front. The foot 
pad- are 6; the mammae 8 | I pectoral and 4 inguinal). 6 
The \a-t range of this species has already been given. This 
mouse ha- it- natural habitat in moist meadow- and grassy border- of 
swamps, hut it habitually extends it- range into neighboring c-ulti- 
vated fields, waste lands, and open -pace- on the border of timber 
land-. Wherever it occur-, it i- normally the mo-t abundant rodent. 
Nearly all meadow- are full of the animals. On parting the thick 
grass almost anywhere one can find the smooth trails, and where the 
grass i- thin they are often plainly visible. After the melting of 
deep -now. or where the dry grass ha- been burned, the network of 
runway- i- especially conspicuous to the eye. In swamps the paths 
cross -oft mud and standing water, if -hallow. When green scum, 
composed of minute floating plants, cover- stagnant water, the trails 
;ire defined aero-- it by streaks of clear water where the animals swim 
from side to side in the pool-. In walking across a swamp one some- 
times frightens them from the -belter of tussocks and sees them 
swim away or run through -hallow water. 
In -wain])- meadow mice ne-t in burrow- in dry tussocks or in 
bunches of grass above the surface of the moist ground. The nests 
are composed of grass or liber- of weed- made into ball-, loose and of 
«Proc. Wash. Biol. Soc. vol. 8. pp. 139 1 l-\ L895. 
& For dental and skull characters consult X. A. i anna No. 17. p. 17. l'.HJO. 
