398 MURIDAE—MICROTI 
to particular species:—Murston, near Sittingbourne, Kent 
(Newton); Fisherton River, near Salisbury (Blackmore and 
Alston); Dog Holes, Warton Crag, Lancashire (Jackson) ; 
Corstorphine, Edinburgh (mandible found by Bennie and 
identified by Newton—see Scott. Nat., 1913, 97-100, where W. 
Evans mentions another Scottish find, to be recorded later by 
Horne and Peach) ; and the Irish caves of Co. Clare. As with 
the Norwegian Lemming, the bones are sometimes remarkably 
fresh, noticeably those from the Co. Clare caves. 
The absence of Dzcrostonyx from Skandinavia is remarkable 
in contrast to the almost entire restriction therein of ZL. demmus. 
If Lemmus reached Skandinavia from the west, it is difficult 
to understand why Dicrostonyx failed to do so. It looks as if 
Lemmus had ousted the more specialised Dzcrostonyx in Western 
Europe. The fact that Dzcrostonyx was evidently unable to 
enter Skandinavia from the east or south, favours the truth of the 
suggestion of the western origin of Lemmus in Skandinavia. | 
Group MICROTI. 
VOLES OR VOLE-MICE. 
The mice of this group are generally known in recent 
zoological works as “voles” or ‘vole-mice.” Vole=‘‘a field” 
is an abbreviation of ‘ vole-mouse” = “‘field-mouse,” a north 
English word used by Barry (1805) for the Orkney species (com- 
pare Norwegian “voll,” Icelandic “ voell-r”). The word is often 
incorrectly used, especially in such cases as “ Field Vole” = “ Field 
Field”! For this reason it is, perhaps, fortunate that it has 
not reached the general public, but is confined to zoological 
works. Its use ought to be restricted by naturalists, a course 
which may, perhaps, be best followed by retaining it for the 
group AZcrotz, in which sense its application is convenient, 
and discarding it from the actual species. 
The majority of voles may be distinguished at a glance from 
lemmings by their smaller head, more slender body, thicker fur, 
and longer ears and tail; the latter is (except in Laguvus) much 
