1316 THE RODENTS 



considerable distances. In domestication, white and pied breeds of this species 

 are common. 



This mouse exhibits a peculiar susceptibility to musical sounds, to which it 

 listens with marked attention. Occasionally, in common with other members of 

 the family, individuals of this species are endowed with considerable vocal powers. 

 A lady writes that although the song of one of these ' ' singing mice ' ' was not very 

 effective, yet it was a distinct vocal effort. Sometimes the mouse in her possession 

 ' ' would run up an octave, and end with a decided attempt at a trill. Sometimes it 

 would try to trill up all the notes. An octave seemed to be about its. range. I 

 could distinctly see the expansion and vibration of its throat and chest as one can 

 in a song bird. Its favorite position when singing was an erect one, standing on its 

 hind- feet." 



Since the term "field mice" is popularly applied to the voles as 

 Long-Tailed we jj as to t j ie true m j ce) ft i s necessary to prefix the epithet " long- 

 _. ie tailed ' ' to the common British species (M. sylvaticus) of the present 



genus. This field mouse is rather larger than the field vole, from 

 which it can be distinguished at a glance by its lighter build, longer and more 

 pointed muzzle, much larger ears, and greatly elongated tail, which is nearly equal 

 in length to the head and body. The general color of the fur is reddish gray above, 

 and whitish beneath, with a spot of light brown on the chest. This species is com- 

 mon in many parts of England, and is also widely distributed over the temperate 

 regions of Europe, while . eastward it is replaced by the closely allied Persian field 

 mouse, ranging from Persia over a large portion of Central Asia. 



This field mouse is generally found in England in gardens, hedgerows, and 

 cornfields, but in winter it sometimes takes shelter in houses, while it also frequents 

 corn-stacks, although in less numbers than the house mouse. It commonly burrows 

 in the ground, and lays up large stores of food for winter use, whole handfuls of 

 corn, nuts, or seeds being sometimes discovered in these subterranean retreats. 

 Since these mice are exceedingly prolific, the amount of damage they sometimes 

 do to cornfields and gardens is almost incalculable; and additional harm is fre- 

 quently effected by pigs in their search after the concealed hordes of these little 

 Rodents. 



The elegant little creature of which a group is represented in the 

 colored Plate is the most beautiful, and also almost the smallest of 

 the British mammals; the one inferior to it in point of size being the pygmy 

 shrew. The harvest mouse (M. minutus), as the creature is called, was first dis- 

 covered in England by Gilbert White, of Selborne, and is so small that its weight is 

 only about one-sixth of an ounce; the total length being about four and one-half 

 inches, of which nearly one-half is taken up by the tail. The ears and tail are pro- 

 portionately rather small, and the color of the fur is yellowish red above and white 

 beneath. 



The harvest mouse, although local, is widely distributed in the British Islands, 

 and extends over the greater part of Europe, ranging eastward through Russia into 

 Siberia, and occurring as far south as the north of Italy. This species usually 

 keeps far away from human habitations, frequenting cornfields and pastures; but is 



