Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-03-08
COMM0NkS1 UF WILD ANIMALS
II Is the Ordinary House Mouse and
There Are Interesting Points
About IL.

1t is almost impossible to avoid learn
ing something of the appearance and
habits of this little fellow, for he acts
as private tutor on the subject in al
most every household.
As few of us are fond enough of him,
however, to pay strict attention when
he presents himself as an object les
son, brief description of his external
appearance may not be out of place. In |
a certain quaint dictionary / once pos
sessed the definition of 'mouse" was
given as "a small rat" and this is
not such very bad one, after all, eX-
cept for the fact that the reader is apt |
to be less familiar with the appearance
of a rat than of a mouse. The total
length of the latter animal is about
6M inches, of which the tail takes up
nearly one-half. His head is longish
and his nose sharp. His ears are large
and erect, with very little hair on
either surface. His legs are slender,
and his delicate little toes are provided
with sharp, slightly hooked nails. His
tail is round and tapering, scaly and
with slight covering of short hair.
In color, he is dusky gray above and
ashy beneath. His eyes and most of
his whiskers are black, and his front
teeth are yellowish.
Altogether he is very dainty little
fellow, and If persons would only stop
to study him little instead of throw
ing things at him, or calling in the cat,
every time he puts in an appearance,
they would soon find him very intel
ligent and attractive companion. He
is very agile and graceful in his move
ments, and not at all vicious in dispo-
sition. For some time past have had
a number of mice in captivity, and l
find them very amusing pets. They
will eat anything, and are so tame that
they will take food from my hand or
drink from vessel held in the fingers.
They are most active at night, but often
play about in the daytime. They are
very bright, and Immediately give
their attention to any unusual sight or
sound. To do this, they usually pause
with their head slightly on one side,
and with a most inquiring look in the
eyes. After eating they wash them
selves very rapidly with their front
paws.
Where there is an abundance of food
mice eat great deal, but they seem
able to live on very little. and when
once well established in house they
manage to get along somehow, even il
the provisions are carefully locked up
for months at time. When hungry,
however. they are very persevering in
their efforts to get food, and will gnaw
their way into boxes and cupboards,
scale walls, and even cross ceilings
when the latter are rough enough to
afford hold for their sharp, hooked
claws. They have been known to de-
scend rope and eat up the contents Of
basket hanging from the ceiling.
They make their nests of scraps OF
paper wool, rags or any soft material.
which they usually chop up very small
with their teeth. These homes are
usually made in a. hole. in, the wall, or
beneath the floor, or in an old box,
drawer or other convenient place.
Often when cleaning out an old desk
or trunk one comes upon such a nest,
made of fine particles of old letters,
penwipers and such little things.
There are several filters of young
every year, and generally from four to
ten in a litter. When the young are
born they are very small pink little
creatures, naked and blind. The
mother is devoted to them. and tends
them with great care and evident af'
lection. When they are few weeks
old they begin to come out OF their
hole to play about and see what the
world is made Of. They may easily be
distinguished from the older ones by
their smaller size and younger looks.
While the normal color is gray, very
rarely black specimen is seen, and
the white mice with red eyes, which are
often kept as pets, are albinos of this
species. Others are spotted black an6
white, and at times have been sold al
quite good prices as "fancy" mice.
OF the many enemies of the little 70
dents perhaps the house cat stands al
the head of the list. Many people judge
a cat chiefly by her qualities as nous,
hunter, and. all things considered. i
is perhaps just as well that she does
take. hand in the game occasionally.
Next to the cat perhaps the owls
and hawks account for the creates
number and foxes, 'coons, weasles
skunks and crows all look upon mice
MS a delicacy. But the troubles of tn,
rodents do not end here. Scores of in
genious traps have been invented TO
their destruction, and they are alst
poisoned in great numbers every year
When it becomes necessary to de
stroy mice, perhaps the most human
way to do it is with the spring trap,
which kills them Instantly with blow
Poisoning is very cruel, and this meth
cd is also a menace to human life. no
only because it is always dangerous t.
have poison where there is possibilit,
of children getting hold of it, but be
cause the mice are apt to die in tn
walls, floors and other Inaccessible
places.
Drowning is also cruel, though
once knew two dear elderly ladies, VIII
were so kind-hearted that they used t
drown their mice in warm water, "be
cause" they said. at is so cruel t.
drown the poor things in cold water
In the middle of winter, too"