MOUSE, Mus, a genus of rodent mammalia of the family .21furi&B (q.v.), having three simple molar teeth in each jaw, with tuberculated summits, the upper incisors wedge shaped, the lower compressed and pointed, the forefeet with 4 toes and a rudimentary thumb, the hind feet five-toed; the tail long, nearly destitute of hair, and scaly. This genus includes rats (q.v.) and mice; the smaller species bearing the latter name.—The COMMON MOUSE (311 museu/us) is perhaps not originally British, although now so abun dant everywhere.. It accompanies man wherever he goes, and readily colonizes every region, arctic, temperate, or tropical; its great fecundity, common also to most of its congeners, causing means to be employed everywhere for the prevention of its excessive multiplication. Aristotle made the experiment of placing a pregnant female mouse in a closed vessel filled with grain, and found in a short time no fewer than 120 mire in the vessel. Of cats and mouse-traps it seems unnecessary here to speak, and equally unnec essary to give a description of the common mouse. There are several varieties of this species. That generally found in houses is smaller, and not so dark in color, as that common in barns and farm-yards. A white variety sometime, occurs, and has been per petuated in a half-domesticated state. The common brown kind is, however, at least as easily tamed, and readily becomes familiar enough. A pied variety is not uncommon in India.—Much has been written about the singing powers of the mouse; it being asserted, on the one hand, that mice not unfrequently show a strong love for music, and a power of imitating the song of birds; whilst, on the other hand, it is alleged that the singing of mice is merely the consequence of throat disease.—The mouse makes a nest like that of a bird in the wainscot of a wall, among the chaff or feathers of a bed, or in any similar situation. The litter is generally from to 10 iu number.—The Woon MOUSE, or LONG TAILED FIELD Mouse sylvatieus), is a little larger than the common mouse. Its tail
is longer; its ears are also longer; its muzzle rather longer; its under parts lighter in color than in the common mouse. It is abundant throughout Britain and the temperate parts of Europe, and is a grievous pest in gardens and fields. It lays up stores of grain and other food, either in thick tufts of grass, or just under the surface of the earth. The quantity of food laid up in such stores is often wonderfully large. The field mouse is timid, gentle, and easily tamed.—The smallest British mouse, and the smallest British quadruped, is the HARVEST MOUSE (M. messorius), of which the head and body are only in. in length, the tail being almost equally long, and to some degree prehensile; the general form elongated and slender, the bead narrow, the ears not large. This species is not uncommon in some parts of the south of England; it is also found in the south of Scotland, although less frequently. It makes its nest among the stalks of wheat, reeds, or other grasses, weaving together the leaves and panicles of grasses, the leaves being for this purpose cut into shreds by its teeth. The nest is a very curious structure formed by mere intertwining, without cement of any kind. It is generally suspended among the stalks. It is globular, or nearly so, and entrance to it is through an opening, which almost completely closes up again.—A still smaller species of mouse (M. pumilas) is found in the south of Europe.—An American species; the WIDTE-FOOTED MOUSE Pi leueopus), common in most parts of North America, and intermediate in its habits between the common mouse and the field mouse, is said to depart from houses whenever either the cat or the brown rat appears in them.—The Barbary mouse (M. Barbarus) approaches in size to the rats, and is distinguished by its longitudinally striped fur.
The name mouse is often popularly given to animals considerably different from the true mice. as the voles (q.v.).