MICE AND RATS. 1 83 



is informed by Mr. A. G. I\Iore that its reputed occurrence is 

 based on young specimens of the Wood-Mouse. 



Habits. — Next to the Lesser Shrew, the smallest of British 

 terrestrial Mammals, the Harvest-Mouse differs from the other 

 British representatives of its genus in not frequenting gardens, 

 or the neighbourhood of houses or other buildings, although 

 it is often found in corn-ricks, to which it is carried in the 

 sheaves of wheat. After mentioning his discovery of a nest in 

 Fifeshire, Macgillivray states that this " was composed of dry 

 blades of coarse grass, arranged in a globular form, and placed 

 in the midst of a tuft of Aira ccespitosa^ at the distance of about 

 nine inches from the ground. It contained six or seven naked 

 and blind young ones. The young are said to vary from five 

 to nine; and as it litters several times in the season, it is 

 occasionally numerous in corn-fields, on hedge-banks, and in 

 dry pastures. Its food consists of seeds, especially of corn and 

 grass, insects, and worms. In wheat-stacks it is often found in 

 great abundance, but in general it forms burrows in the ground, 

 in which it deposits provisions for the winter. Bingley relates 

 that he fed one with insects, which it always preferred to 

 any other food ; and the individual represented in the plate, 

 here reproduced, devoured an earth-worm, which at first, by 

 twisting round its body, upset it. Like the other species, it 

 may be kept in confinement, but is sa'd not to become so 

 famihar as the Wood-Mouse." 



In connection with the latter point, it may be mentioned 

 that Mr. Harting has been successful in getting these pretty 

 little creatures to breed in captivity, and also to rear their 

 young ones, which became so tame as to allow themselves to 

 be handled without attempting to bite, and also to take food 

 from their owner's hand. 



As a general rule, the nest is built between three or four 



