92 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. 



of wood, and envelope themselves in it till 

 warmer weather. 



ORDER GLIRES. 



Genus, Mus, Rat and mouse. 



It is very doubtful if the species called Mus 

 Rattus, or Black Rat, be still in existence in 

 this neighbourhood. A few years ago one was 

 seen to swim from a quay at Oreston to a ship 

 some way off. 



Sp. 15. Mus Decumanus, or Brown Rat, is the common 

 sort; these rats have been the destroyers 

 of the smaller and black kind, and having 

 usurped their place by a war conducted since 

 their introduction at the beginning of the last 

 century, have proved themselves the much 

 more formidable and troublesome guests of the 

 two, by devouring the framework of the house, 

 the clothes and the food of its inhabitants. 

 The white variety has occasionally been found 

 here. 



Sp. 16. Mus Amphibius, or Water Rat, is known more 

 or less throughout this kingdom ; in this neigh- 

 bourhood very few have been detected. 



Sp. 17. Mus Musculus, or Common Mouse, is an ani- 

 mal more frequent in our houses than the brown 

 rat, and is well known for its destructive powers. 



Sp. 18. Mus Sylvaticus, Long-tailed field Mouse, in- 

 fests our gardens in great numbers, and is en- 

 trapped by the labourer on account of the 

 ravages it commits amongst newly-sown seeds, 

 particularly beans and peas. Countrymen 

 designate this and the following species 

 "Ground Mice." 



Sp. 19. Mus ArvaliSy or Meadow Mouse. This animal 

 is more partial to fields and hedges than gar- 

 dens, and is not so common as the last kind. 



It has been thought that the Harvest Mouse, 

 Mus Messorius (SHAW,) was peculiar to Hamp- 



