104 
LITTLE HARVEST MOUSE. 
COLOUK. 
Teeth, yellow, eaile, white; eyee, black; mouetachec, mostly whtte; 
, few nea^ the nostrils black; nose, cheeks, ears on both surfaces an a 
line extending front the sides of the neck running along the “‘■jhlerand 
senarating the colours of the back and under surface, da, k bufl , on 
back, the hairs are plumbeous at the roots, then yellow.sh f-™ 
uppeOips, chin, and throat, white; neck and under surface of bod, 
wViitp shaded with buff. 
DIMENSIONS. 
Inches 
os 
From point of nose to root of tail, - - ‘ ^ 
Tail, --■■■■ . . f 
Height of ear, - - - 
habits. 
By the casual observer, this diminutive little species, on being started 
from its retreat in the long grass, or under some fence or pile of br ushwood, 
niif^ht be mistaken for the young of the white-footed mouse <^us leucopus), 
or that of the jumping mouse {Meriones Americanus). It however differs 
widely from either, and bears but a general resemblance to any of oui 
American species. _ 
About twenty years ago, whilst we were endeavouring to make our- 
selves acquainted with the species of smaller rodentia existing m e 
Southern States, we discovered this little Mouse in the^grass fields and 
along the fences of the plantations a few miles from Charles on, S C. 
We procured it in the way in which field mice and other small quadru- 
peds in all countries can be most easily obtained, by having what are 
denominated figure of 4 traps, set along fences and ditches m the evening, 
baited with meat and seeds of various kinds. On the following morning 
we usually were rewarded with a number of several interesting species. 
We on two occasions preserved this Mouse in a domestic state, once for a 
year during which time it produced two broods of young : the firs 
consisting of four were horn in May, the second of three m July. 
They reared all their young. We fed them at first on pea or S^^l^d^uts 
iUypogea cornmeal, (maize,) the latter they preferred 
aftef having tempted their appetites with the seeds of the Egyptian 
let {Pervrdsitum tiphoideum,) we discovered that they relished i so well, 
we allowed it finally to become their exclusive food. They refused meat o 
