448 Prof. J. Steenstrup on the Character of the 



[Mus sylvaticus^ Linn.). The animals which Thienemann, 

 and probably others, must have examined are, in his opinion, 

 only domestic mice living at a distance from houses, whilst 

 the mouse living in the interior of the country, to which he 

 believes that Olafsen's and Henderson's statements referred, 

 has hitherto remained unknown. 



The statements of Olafsen and Henderson, upon which the 

 author has thus built up a scientific conclusion of such impor- 

 tance, are here given one after the other in extenso. In Olaf- 

 sen's and Povelsen's 'Travels in Iceland' (Band i. p. 218. 

 § 329) we read as follows : — 



" Mice here are numerous, but not of many kinds. The 

 whitish ones {Jividagtige*)^ which live in woods and heathy 

 thickets, called Skogar-mys in Icelandic, seem to be only a 

 variety oi Mus dortiesticus (Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. res. 26-12) or 

 the well-known Mus sylvaticus. In the wood of Huusefell 

 there is an abundance of them. They are very good oecono- 

 mists, and collect for the winter a quantity oi A^-hutus-hexx'iQQ 

 (§ 260), which provision of theirs is often found by travellers. 

 It is generally asserted here, by those who have seen it them- 

 selves, that they undertake journeys and conveyances over 

 brooks and pretty large rivers, where tlie water is deep and 

 still ; and it appears that they shoot obliquely across streams. 

 Their boats are dry cowdung, such as is dropped upon the fields, 

 namely thin and flat. So many as intend to travel in com- 

 pany, four to six or ten at the utmost, help each other to carry 

 their boat to the water. The cargo is a considerable heap of 

 vlrZ»M^ws-berries, which are piled up in the middle, but the 

 mice sit in a circle outside them, so that their heads meet to- 

 gether in the middle point, but their tails hang out in the water, 

 and are employed as oars in making the passage. When they 

 get over, they carry their Arhutus-hQYX\Q,s> to a certain place. 

 They are, however, often unfortunate, by the currents leading 

 them into danger, when they suffer shipwreck, and have to 

 save themselves as best they can by swimming, which art they 

 understand pretty well. We have not om-selves seen these 

 transits ; but they are generally known ; some even assert that 

 they have seen them. When we consider the wonderful oeco- 

 nomy of the beaver and many so-called intelligent animals, 

 this of the wood-mice cannot be regarded as incredible." 



This account was made use of by Pallas, Pennant, and 



• " Hvidagtige" in Icelandic Danish, signifies " whitish grey " or " light 

 grey;" the Icelanders' "grey" colour is of a somewhat darker tint than 

 ours. It is therefore very delusive that this expression, in the English 

 translation of Olafsen's ' Travels,' used by Murray, is rendered merely 

 " white," instead of " whitish." 



