William H. Davenport, age ii, of Russellville, Ky., for his question:
What is a mouse deer?
There is a deer mouse and a mouse deer. The deer Mouse, alias the White footed Mouse, is very like a wild field mouse. The timid little cutie is four inches long, plus four inches of mousy tail. His soft chest and dainty legs are snowy white. The deer Mouse is a native of North America. The Mouse deer is a mousy little deer of the tropics.
He is one of the smallest of the ruminants, or cud chewing animals, and he enjoys a quiet and secret life in the tropical jungles of Asia and Africa. His common name is the Mouse deer, though he is not a true deer and certainly not a Mouse. He is caiied more correctly the chevrontain, and many different species of chevrontain are classed in the family Tragulidae, a scientific name which means the little he goats.
The dainty chevrontain has goaty hooves, but no goaty horns or beard. He stands at shoulder level one foot high, and his body is no longer than 20 inches. He has no tail to speak of, and his small head tapers to a pointed nose. His little faee is set off with a pair of big bright eyes and topped with a pair of alert, round ears.
The chevrontain's coat is brown, and his sides are marked with white or buff spots and perhaps a long, light stripe or two. Mr. Mouse Deer may have a pair of tusky teeth which poke down from his upper jaw. The timid little fellow is defenseless against snakes and lizards and all the other hungry carnivores of the jungle.
He sieeps by day, hiding in crevices and hollow logs. At dusk, he comes forth to feed, walking stiffly on his slender legs and always ready to take cover from his enemies. He can climb the lower branches of the trees, and if he is an African Mouse deer, he can escape into the water, for he is a champion swimmer and diver.
The mouse deer, no bigger than a hate, is a vegetarian. His dirt includes greenery, fruit, nuts and, berries. His voice is a feeble bleat like the cry of a very small lamb. It is easy to tame him, and the little cutie never wants to leave his human friends to return to the wild.
Adult chevrontains live their lonely lives in solitude. Mrs. Chevrontain usually gives birth to a pair of twins each year. While they are growing up, the youngsters stay with Mama, and she teaches them the tricks they must know to make a living and keep out of trouble. Soon they are ready to go their separate ways, and Mrs. Chevrontain, alias Mrs. Mouse Deer, returns to her solitary Iife in the jungle.