The dancing mouse

Abstract

Peculiarities of the dancing mouse -Markings and method of keeping record of individuals -The dancer in China and Japan (Kishi, Mitsukuri, Hatai) -Theories concerning the origin of the race : selectional breeding ; the inheritance of an acquired character ; mutation, inheritance, and selectional breeding ; pathological changes ; natural selection -In- stances of the occurrence of dancers among other kinds of mice -Results of crossing dancer with other kinds of mice.CHAPTER II Feeding, Breeding, and Development of the Young .i6 Methods of keeping and caring for dancers -Cages, nest- boxes, and materials for nest -Cleansing cages -Food supply and feeding -Importance of cleanliness, warmth, and pure food -Relations of males and females, fighting -The young, number in a litter -Care of young -Course of de- velopment -Comparison of young of dancer with young of common mouse -Diary account of the course of develop- ment of a typical litter of dancers.CHAPTER III Behavior : Dance Movements 29 Dancing -Restlessness and excitability -Significance of restlessness -Forms of dance : whirling, circling, and figure- eights -Direction of whirling and circling: right whirlers, left whirlers, and mixed whirlers -Sex differences in danc- ing -Time and periodicity of dancing -Influence of light on activity -Necessity for prolonged observation of behavior.xii