CHAPTER II.

THE DORMOUSE, LOPHIOMYS, RAT, AND MOUSE FAMILIES.

THE MOUSE-LIKE RODENTS--MYOXIDÆ--Characteristics--THE DORMOUSE--Description--Habits--Activity--Food--Winter Condition--THE LOIR--THE GARDEN DORMOUSE--LOPHIOMYIDÆ--How the Family came to be Founded--THE LOPHIOMYS--Milne-Edwards’ Opinion--Skull--General Form--Habits--MURIDÆ--Number of Species--Characteristics--Variety of Forms--Distribution--The Murine Sub-Family--THE BROWN RAT--History--Fecundity and Ferocity--Diet--At the Horse Slaughter-houses of Montfaucon--Shipwrecked on Islands--Story of their Killing a Man in a Coal-pit--In the Sewers of Paris and London--THE BLACK RAT--THE EGYPTIAN RAT--THE COMMON MOUSE--Habits--Destructiveness--Colours--THE LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE--Description--Food--THE HARVEST MOUSE--Description--Habits--In Winter--Agility--Their Nest--THE BANDICOOT RAT--THE TREE RAT--THE STRIPED MOUSE--Allied Genera--THE WHITE-FOOTED HAPALOTE--The American Murines--THE WHITE-FOOTED, OR DEER MOUSE--THE GOLDEN, OR RED MOUSE--THE RICE-FIELD MOUSE--THE AMERICAN HARVEST MOUSE--THE FLORIDA RAT--Description--Their Nest--Food--Mother and Young--THE BUSHY-TAILED WOOD RAT--THE COTTON RAT--THE RABBIT-LIKE REITHRODON--THE HAMSTERS--Characteristics--Appearance--Distribution-- Burrows--Disposition--Food--Habits--THE TREE MICE--THE BLACK-STREAKED TREE MICE--THE GERBILLES--Characteristics--Habits--Other Genera--THE WATER MICE--Characteristics--Species--THE SMINTHUS--THE VOLES--Characteristics--THE WATER VOLE--Appearance--Distribution--Food--THE FIELD VOLE--THE BANK VOLE--THE SOUTHERN FIELD VOLE--THE SNOW MOUSE--THE ROOT VOLE--THE MEADOW MOUSE--THE PINE MOUSE--THE MUSQUASH, MUSK RAT, OR ONDATRA--Distinguishing Features--Habits--His House--THE LEMMING--Description--Food--Habits--Disposition--Their Extraordinary Migrations--Other Lemmings--THE ZOKOR 101