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