HAEYEST-MOUSE. 53 



probable. The winters of Andalusia are so mild, that, in all 

 likelihood, the soft-billed birds that leave us at that season 

 may find insects sufficient to support them there. 



Some young man, possessed of fortune, health, and lei- 

 sure, should make an autumnal voyage into that kingdom, 

 and should spend a year there, investigating the natural 

 history of that vast country. Mr. Willughby* passed 

 through that kingdom on such an errand ; but he seems to 

 have skirted along in a superficial manner and an ill 

 humour, being much disgusted at the rude dissolute 

 manners of the people. 



I have no friend left now at Sunbury to apply to about 

 the swallows roosting on the aits of the Thames ; nor can I 

 hear any more about those birds which I suspected were 

 merulcB tor quotas. 



As to the small mice,t I have farther to remark, that 



* See Ray's Travels, p. 466. 



f The mus messorius of Shaw is the least of British quadrupeds. Mr. 

 White has the merit of discovering it, and has added some interesting informa- 

 tion regarding it in his different letters. The Rev. W. Bingley, in his 

 Memoirs of British Quadmpeds, has the following very interesting remarks, 

 illustrating the habits of an individual for some time kept alive in his posses- 

 sion : " About the middle of September, 1804, I had a female harvest-mouse 

 given to me. It was put into a dormouse cage immediately when caught, and 

 a few days afterwards produced eight young ones. I entertained some hope 

 that the little animal would have nursed these and brought them up ; but, 

 having been disturbed in her removal about four miles from the country, she 

 began to destroy them, and I took them from her. The young ones, at the 

 time I received them (not more than two or three days old), must have been 

 at least equal in weight to the mother. After they were removed, she became 

 reconciled to her situation ; and when there was no noise, would venture to 

 come out of her hiding-place at the extremity of the cage, and climb about 

 'among the wires of the open part, before me. In doing this, I remarked that 

 her tail was prehensile, and that, to render her hold the more secure, she 

 generally coiled the extremity of it round one of the wires. The toes of all 

 the feet were particularly long and flexile, and she could grasp the wires very 

 firmly with any of them. She frequently rested on her hind feet, some- 

 what in the manner of thw jerboa, for the purpose of looking about her ; and, 

 in this attitude, could extend her body at such an angle as at first greatly sur- 

 prised me. She was a beautiful little animal, and her various attitudes in 

 cleaning her face, head, and body, with her paws, were particularly graceful 

 and elegant. For a few days after I received this mouse, I neglected to give 

 it any water; but when I afterwards put some into the cage, she lapped it with 

 great eagerness. After lapping, she always raised herself on her hind feet, and 

 cleaned her head with her paws. She continued, even till the time of her 

 death, exceedingly shy and timid ; but whenever I put into the cage my 



