THE HARVEST MOUSE 559 
numerous; as in the case of much of England, it would appear to 
have decreased or to be less often met with than formerly. Very 
sporadic records are all that could be collected for the Edinburgh 
district (1836-1905) by W. Evans, who however, himself found an 
unmistakable nest in August 1885, near Aberlady, East Lothian. 
Neither Harvie-Brown nor Millais (177) have met with the species 
in Scotland, and the former thinks that many records could be 
dispensed with. W. Evans states (¢ “¢.) that he can obtain no 
fresh information from Scotland, and that he has quite failed to 
procure or see a specimen; he thinks the species may not really be 
indigenous, but occasionally establishes itself in a locality for a time. 
Prof. Duns found a nest near Duns, Berwickshire, before 1844; and 
Small (taxidermist, Edinburgh) informed W. Evans that about 1861 he 
received three, he believes from near the same town. Service (Azz. 
Scott. Nat. Hist., 1896, 205) says that although he had seen and handled 
the mice and nests from corn-stalks on Rotchell Farm, near Maxwell- 
town, it has nowhere been seen or heard of in the Solway district for 
over twenty-five years. In Ayrshire it seems to have been common 
about 1855, and was seen by G. W. Murdoch (of. cz). J. M. B. 
Taylor (Ann. Scott. Nat. Hist, 1898, 112) mentions a nest found in 
1895, at Kilbarchan, Renfrewshire, now in Paisley Museum, and states 
that he has seen other nests in the county. A doubtful specimen 
in the Andersonian Collection (Hunterian Museum) from the Clyde 
district is mentioned by Boyd Watt. In Perthshire, Millais believes 
it may occur in the Carse of Gowrie. It is mentioned in a list of 
animals from Alloa (Vew Stat. Account, Clackmannanshire, 9), in which 
also its size and weight are correctly noted; and the eastern distri- 
bution in Scotland of this comparatively southern form as compared 
with that of birds is discussed by Gray and Anderson (Birds of 
Wigtownshire, 4; E. R. Alston). One from Kincardineshire, caught 
in 1869, is recorded by R. Gray (E. R. Alston). It is not known in 
the Llanbryde district, according to Taylor. Macgillivray had two 
specimens, one sent from Aberdeenshire, the other from near Edin- 
burgh, and he once found the nest in Fifeshire. Sim heard of one 
taken in 1889 at Kennay House, Banff, by Stewart Burnett (Azz. Scott. 
Nat. Hist., 1898, 46); he also mentions one in Banff Museum, said to 
have been taken at Greenskairs,Gardenstown. This is in part confirmed 
by T. Edward (Zoologist, 1861, 7379), who received two from Wallas 
Gardiner, Greenskairs, Gamrie, Banffshire; Edward sent one of these, 
said to have been 4 inches long, including tail, and to have weighed 
% ounce 13 grains, ze. 4-38 grammes, or a little less than the weight 
recorded by Gilbert White (see p. 565) tothe Banff Museum. W. Taylor 
(Ann, Scott. Nat. Hist., 1897, 249) says there is no Harvest Mouse in 
Banff Museum, and he thinks Edward probably mistook young bright- 
