confirmatory of Professor Mitsukuri's statements, from Doctor S. Hatai of
Wistar Institute, Philadelphia: "If I remember rightly the so-called
Japanese dancing mouse is usually called by us _Nankin-nedzumi_. _Nankin_
means anything which has been imported from China, and _nedzumi_ means
rat-like animal, or in this case mouse, or Chinese mouse. I referred to
one of the standard Japanese dictionaries and found the following
statement: 'The _Nankin-nedzumi_ is one of the varieties of _Mus
spiciosus_ (_Hatszuka-nedzumi_), and is variously colored. It was imported
from China. These mice are kept in cages for the amusement of children,
who watch their play.' _Mus spiciosus_, if I remember correctly, is very
much like _Mus musculus_ in color, size, and several other
characteristics, if not the same altogether."

In Swinhoe's list of the mammals of China, which appeared in the
_Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London_ for 1870, _Mus musculus
L_. is mentioned as occurring in houses in South China and in Formosa. It
is further stated that black and white varieties which are brought from
the Straits are often kept by the Chinese (p. 637).

The statements of Kishi, Mitsukuri, and Hatai which have been quoted,
taken in connection with the opinions expressed by various European
scientists who have studied the dancer, make it seem highly probable that
the race appeared first in China, and was thence introduced into Japan,
from which country it has been brought to Europe and America. Accepting
for the present this conclusion with reference to the place of origin of
the dancer, we may now inquire, how and when did this curious freak, as
Professor Mitsukuri has called it, come into existence? Concerning these
matters there is wide divergence of opinion.

Haacke (6 p. 514), as quoted in Brehm's "Tierleben," says that an animal