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Young Materials: The child was familiar with the toy, knew which pieces fitted where and in which order, but he continued to test the order, rather as a scientist tests and re-tests in order to try to falsify a hypothesis. Whilst doing so he would be gaining understanding of the properties of the shapes, the materials, the laws of gravity and many other ideas about building towers.
Life for the young materials scientist gets off to a good start! The world, however, is fraught with difficulties and can be like an obstacle course set up tc dissuade the young materials child from learning in a scientific manner.
Used for sleeping, hiding, rearing of young materials. Supply lining materials: grasses, dry lichens, bits of old kapok. Pull kapok apart into small pieces and drop with other materials on cage bottom. Never use cotton.
Wild mice are playful, need toys. Plant a stiff-branching shrub in corner of cage; pets like to race through it. Tie tightly twisted and knotted cord to top of cage and allow to dangle down. Provide chipmunk-type wheel. Many other items may be used (see cage diagram, Part IV).
Gestation takes 16 days; 7-15 in litter; young materials born pink, naked, and blind. Do not disturb young materials or mother for at least a week after birth; if disturbed mother will either kill and eat the young materials or neglect them and allow them to die. After 3 weeks, remove young materials from mother; otherwise, mother fights with them and often kills them. Sexes should be separated before young materials reach maturity at 43 days. |
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