Species of Mice observed. 439 



ponds generally to Field Mouse, or Souris des champs) ; one of 

 its names formerly iu most common use in France, appearing from 

 him to have been Mulbt a courte queue, while the true Mulot in 

 some places is called, Le Rat a la grande queue, Mus caudd 

 longissimd. It is only in this incidental way, by mentioning the 

 different appellations of this last animal, that Buffon takes notice 

 of the length of its tail. There is indeed considerable inaccuracy 

 and confusion in the accounts given by different authors of the 

 various species of Rats and Mice, of which thirty-four are enu- 

 merated by Buffon, (or rather by his Posthumous Editor). 

 Buffon thinks several writers have fallen into a mistake in sub- 

 dividing the species called Mulot into two, partly from their ob- 

 serving very great differences in the size of different individuals of 

 that species, and partly from their taking the Mus domesticus 

 medius of Ray to be a distinct species of the Mulot, but which, 

 though shortly and inaccurately described by Ray, and seemingly 

 from the account of others, not ocular inspection, Buffon supposes 

 to be only a Mulot not grown to its full size. Though the word 

 domesticus is not applicable to it, Pennant gives that among the 

 appellations of his Field Mouse. Buffon says, the Mulot appears 

 to be a long time in coming to its full growth, and that, when it 

 does, it is four inches and two or three lines, or twelfth parts of 

 an inch long, from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail ; 

 that the smallest are an inch shorter; and, that they are found of 

 all the intermediate sizes. He seems to consider the Mulot in 

 general, as a more powerful animal than the Campagnol or short- 

 tailed Mouse ; for he says, the latter is scarcely more than three 

 inches long from the nose to the tail; and mentions that the 

 Mulols when they fall short of food in winter, not only devour 

 the smallest of their own species, but also the Campagnols, 

 whereas, speaking of the manner of feeding of the latter, though 

 he says, they eat one another in times when their more natural 

 food is scarce, he immediately adds, that they serve also for food 

 to the Mulots, &c. without mentioning that they ever eat the 

 Mulots. But, on the contrary, in Dean Forest, the short-tailed 

 large-headed Mouse, is considered as the more powerful animal, 



