Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-30
THE JUMPING MOUSE. OR "THE
HUDSON BAY JUMPER.

In this country called the "white-footed
western mouse" There is another called
the Hudson bay jumper, and 1t Is to
be found in the regions round about
Hudson bay, from which it gets its name.
The house mouse is familiar to all chill
dren. but | wonder how many boys and
girls ever stop to think how dainty
and pretty the little creature is. His
coat is sleek and clean. his eyes bright
and intelligent. his teeth glistening and
white, his nose pink and his ears like
wax.
The jumping mouse is formed physical
" much ike kangaroo. Indeed. one
writing. in describing him, says he is
miniature kangaroo. His mind legs
are long and slender, and his forelegs
short and strong. His coat is dark brown
on top of his back. yellOwish brown at
the sides and white underneath. His
paws and ankles are white-white SOCKS,
children would say. His tail Is much
longer than that of the house mouse,
leing twice the length of his body. 1t
Is gracefully tipped with white In gen
eral appearance the jumping mouse is a
decidedly pretty fellow.
The wild mice differ in their choice of
soil Some prefer dry ground. while
others choose wet ground. They all bur-
row to a more or less degree. Some
build elaborate nests The prairie or
meadow mouse is a great gossip. chat
tering in fine squeaky voice incessant-
" That they have language all their
own cannot be denied by those who have
made a study of them. They are ferce
little fighters. too. and wage war against
each other. stealing from each other s
storehouseS whenever they can get the
opportunity. They. are thrifty to de-
gree. laying in food In the fall to last
them during the hard winter months
The jumping mouse is exception to
this rule. for he, like the chipmunk and
woodchuck, has his torpid spells during
the cold weather. hiding away in his
cosy house in the ground, wrapped
in 4, lie t1il nd
warmth OF spring calls him to life and
activity again.
The field mice live in hollow stumps.
under fallen logs and under the edges
of old straw stacks and in cornshocks.
Their food consists of juicy roots, green
grasses. tender plants. nuts and grain,
which they find after the crop has been
garnered. Grain, nuts and roots supply
their winters food.
Thoreau, poet and naturalist, loved all
living creatures. AID even the little wild
mouse the domestic house mouse
came in for share of his sympathy and
care The following is quoted from one
of his books:
The mice which haunted my house
were not tho common ones. which are
said to have been introduced into the
country. but wild native kind not to
be found in the village. | sent one to
. distinguished naturalist. and IL inter-
ested him much. When l was building
one of these had its nest underneath
the house. and Defore ] had laid the sec
ond floor and swept out the shavings it
would come out regularly at lunchtime
to- eat the crumbs at my feet. 1t prob
ably had never seen man before, and 1t
soon became quite familiar and would
run over my shoes and UP my clothes. 1t
could readily ascend the sides of the
room by short impulses like squirrel,
which il resembled in its motions. At
length, when l leaned my elbow on the
bench one day, it ran UP my clothes
and along my sleeve, and around and
around the table which held my dinner
while / kept the latter close and played
bo-peep with Ii. And when at last
held still piece of cheese between my
thumb and finger IL came and nibbled
at H. sitting in my hand. and afterward
cleane,- it's face Ike fly and walked
away