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XVIII. Observations on some Species of British Quadrupeds, Birds, 

 and Fishes. By George Montagu, Esq. F.L.S. 



Read December 20, 1803. 



1 o a society founded on so liberal a basis as the Linnean Society 

 there needs no introduction to the miscellaneous writings of an 

 individual, whose object can only be the diffusion of knowledge 

 on partial subjects of natural history. 



"With this view I beg leave to lay before the Society the fol- 

 lowing observations on a few species of British birds whose his- 

 tory appears to be imperfectly known; together with a few addi- 

 tional remarks on two of our smallest quadrupeds; and a descrip- 

 tion of a beautiful fish, the Cepola rubescens, hitherto, I believe, 

 not noticed on our coast ; and of two other rare species. 



Harvest Mouse. 

 Mus Messorius. Shaw Zool. ii. p. 62. Jig. vignette. 

 Mus minutus. Gmcl. Syst. p. 130. 8.? 

 Harvest Mouse. Br. Zool. i. p. 107. 



Pennant Qiiadr. ii. p. 384. 



White Selb. p. 33. 39- 



This elegant little species of mouse, first noticed by Mr. White 

 as inhabiting the corn-fields and ricks about Selborn, and, 

 through his communication, first made public by Mr. Pennant 

 as indigenous to England, is by no means confined to Hamp- 

 shire ; for we well remember it was common in the more cham- 

 paign parts of Wiltshire in our younger days, and previous to the 



discovery 



