. Some common mammals of western Montana in relation to agriculture and spotted fever . ily eat loose poisoned grain but can prob-ably be effectively poisoned with biscuits made as described inFormula II, though only about half as much strychnine (1 ounce to16 quarts of grain) is required for these animals. A number of wood rats had been living for several years in thehouse mentioned in the woodchuck poisoning experiment described 484 COMMON MAMMALS OK WKSTKHN MONTANA. on pages •_.», after 11 it* treatment with arsenic-coated dandelionand clover heads not a single rat could he found. Although
. Some common mammals of western Montana in relation to agriculture and spotted fever . ily eat loose poisoned grain but can prob-ably be effectively poisoned with biscuits made as described inFormula II, though only about half as much strychnine (1 ounce to16 quarts of grain) is required for these animals. A number of wood rats had been living for several years in thehouse mentioned in the woodchuck poisoning experiment described 484 COMMON MAMMALS OK WKSTKHN MONTANA. on pages •_.», after 11 it* treatment with arsenic-coated dandelionand clover heads not a single rat could he found. Although this is(he only time the author has tried arsenic as a wood-rat poison, hebelieves that this inexpensive preparation will prove effective againstthe animals. Wood rats are easily caught in ordinary rat traps haitedwith prunes, raisins, or oatmeal. MEADOW MICE. DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS. Three kinds of meadow mice occur in the valleys of western Mon-tana, and another lives high up in the mountains; hut since all threeof the valley species may sometimes he found in the same hayfield,. Fig. 23.—Meadow mouse caught in unbailed trap. and since their habits are much alike, it is unnecessary here to dis-tinguish between them. (Fig. 23.) As a rule these mice occur only in damp fields and meadows wherethere is an abundance of grass. In such jolaces their runways formnetworks on the surface of the ground, with occasional burrows lead-ing to underground passages. Their nests are compact masses ofdry glass, usually placed in rank vegetation or under fallen , however, the mice live underground, often among theloots of rotten stumps. (Figs. 24 and 25.) Several litters of youngare born each year, the average number in a litter being six. INJURY TO CROPS. Under normal conditions meadow mice in hayfields do not veryseriously injure the crop: but their nests are a continual source of an- 484 COMMON MAMMALS OF WESTERN MONTANA. 33 novance when the hay is being cut, for they freque
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