THE COMMON GRASS MOUSE 443 
Terminology :—Grass Mice are known under the following names 
in works on British mammals :—“ Short-tailed Field Mouse” (Pennant, 
Brit. Zool., ed. 2, 104, 1768; Berkenhout, 1769 ; Bingley, 1809, alternative 
to “ Meadow Mouse”; Bell 1837, alternative to “Meadow Mouse” and 
second to “ Field Vole”). “Meadow Rat” (Pennant, Quad., 33, 7. 322). 
“Meadow Mouse” (Pennant, Quad, ii., 205; Kerr, Anzmal Kingdom, 
1792, 238; Turton, 1807; Bingley, 1809, alternative to “Short-tailed 
Field Mouse”; Bell, 1837, alternative to “ Short-tailed Field Mouse ” and 
second to “Field Vole”). “Brown Short-tailed Field Rat” (Donovan, 
1819); “Field Vole” (Fleming, 1828 ; Bell, 1837; Aflalo, 1898). “ Field 
Campagnol” (Jenyns, 1835), from the French. “ Brown” or “ Field Vole” 
(MacGillivray, 1838). “Common Field Vole” or “Field Vole” (Bell, 
1874; Lydekker, 1895; Millais, 1905). “Short-tailed Field Vole” 
(Johnston, 1905). “Common Meadow Mouse” (English). 
It appears that the oldest name used by British naturalists for this 
animal was some form of “ Short-tailed Field Mouse” or “Short-tailed 
Field Rat,” alternating, however, freely with “ Meadow Mouse,” a name 
which is established in North America. The word “vole”=a “ field,” 
a mutilated form of “ vole-mouse,” appears to have been borrowed to 
form an English generic name by Fleming (1828) from Barry (1805), 
who reported it as in use in the Orkneys (see also below, p. 457). 
Apparently the need of some such name was felt at that period, for in 
1833 Jenyns took the term “ Field Campagnol,” from the French. This 
is mentioned by MacGillivray, who declared his preference for “ vole.” 
The adoption of the latter term by Bell and MacGillivray led to its 
appearance in one form or another in almost every subsequent work, and 
it has now found what seems to be a permanent place in the technical 
zoological literature of the English-speaking peoples of both hemispheres. 
But it is quite unknown to the public and may be conveniently discarded 
as a specific name. The name “Grass Mouse” is very extensively used 
locally, and as stated above on p. 398, it is here proposed to restrict 
the word “vole” to the group MWzcrotz. The subject is discussed also 
by Elliot (Proc. Berwickshire Nat. Club, viii., 1876-1878, published 1879, 
447-468); by Harting (Zoologzs?, 1893, 145); Skeat and Maxwell (Voces and 
Queries, 16th September and 21st October 1899); and by English ; other 
references are given in dictionaries, but I have been unable to find them. 
Local names (non-Celtic):—Usually gvass.or meadow mouse, but 
occasionally arvest mouse, as in Shropshire (Forrest); 606-faz/ or 
bull-dog mouse of Surrey (Adams); pig mouse (Lydekker); waggoner 
(Cocks) ; zater mouse (E. R. Alston). 
Welsh :—Liygoden gwttar maes (Millais) ; Zygoden gynffbyr=short- 
tailed mouse (Forrest); but species are not usually distinguished in 
Gaelic dialects, pathew or bathor being also applied to mice in Wales 
(Caton Haigh in Forrest). 
