218 
PINE MOUSE. 
in potato fields and in vegetable gardens, gnawing holes into the sides of the 
potatoes, carrots, ruta-haga, and common turnips, following the rows where 
green peas and corn have been planted, bringing down threats of ven- 
geance from the farmer on the poor ground mole, which, feeding only on 
worms, is made a kind of cat’s-paw by this mischievous little field mouse, 
which does the injury in most cases, whilst the other is saddled with the 
blame. In the South it is, next to the Norway rat, the most troublesome 
visitant of the cellars and banks in which the sweet potato is stored, 
destroying more than it consumes, by gnawing holes into the tubers, and 
causing them to rot. Wherever a bed of Guinea corn, Egyptian millet^ 
or Guinea grass is planted, there you will soon observe numerous holes 
and nests of this species. We have recently seen an instance where a 
large bed of kohlrabi was was nearly destroyed by it ; the bulbs appear- 
ing above the surface were gnawed into holes, which, in some instances, 
penetrated to the centre. Our friend, the owner, had, as usual, laid the 
mischief on the broad shoulders of the hated and persecuted ground mole, 
of whose galleries not a trace could be seen in the vicinity. A number 
of small holes at the root of a stump, in the garden, indicated the true 
author of these depredations, and on digging, about a dozen of Le- 
conte’s field Mice were captured. This species is particularly fond of 
the pea or ground nut, (hypogea.) On examining the beds where this 
nut is cultivated, we have obser\’^ed the rows on whole acres perforated 
in every direction by small holes, giving evidence that this troublesome 
little pest had been at work. In endeavouring to save and collect the 
seeds of the Gama grass, {TrijJsncu?/!. dactijloides,) we generally found 
ourselves forestalled by this active and voracious little rat. 
This species has young three or four times during the summer. One 
which we had in confinement, produced young three times, having three, 
seven, and four, in the different broods. The young were nearly all raised, 
but, when full-grown, became pugnacious and persecuted each other so 
much that we were obliged to separate them. They were almost exclu- 
sively fed on ground nuts, corn meal and sweet potatoes, but seemed to 
relish both boiled rice and bread. We have seen nine young taken from 
one nest. 
The nest of this species is generally found under ground, at the distance 
of about a foot from the surface ; it is small, and composed of light, loose 
materials, collected in the vicinity. 
This prolific field rat possesses many enemies to diminish its numbers. 
The house cat not only watches for it about the fields and gardens, but is 
fond of devouring it, whilst the bodies of shrews and ground moles are 
not eaten. The very common Owl, {Sp'nium nebulosum,) the Barn 
