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.