RAT KIND. 183 



To this species, merely to avoid teasing the 

 reader with a minute description of animals very 

 inconsiderable and very nearly alike, I will add 

 that of the Long-tailed Field Mouse, which is larger 

 than the former, of a colour very nearly resem- 

 bling the Norway rat, and chiefly found in fields 

 and gardens. They are extremely voracious, and 

 hurtful in gardens and young nurseries, where 

 they are killed in great numbers. However, 

 their fecundity quickly repairs the destruction. 



Nearly resembling the former, but larger, (for 

 it is six inches long), is the Short-tailed Field' 

 Mouse ; which, as its name implies, has the tail 

 much shorter than the former, it being not above 

 an inch and a half long, and ending in a small 

 tuft. Its colour is more inclining to that of the 

 domestic mouse, the upper part being blackish, 

 and the under of an ash colour. This, as well as 

 the former, is remarkable for laying up provision 

 against winter ; and M. Buffon assures us they 

 sometimes have a store of above a bushel at a 

 time. 



We may add also the Shrew Mouse to this spe- 

 cies of minute animals, being about the size of the 

 domestic mouse, but differing greatly from it in 

 the form of its nose, which is very long and slen- 

 der. The teeth also are of a very singular form, 

 and twenty-eight in number, whereas the com- 

 mon number in the rat kind is usually not above 

 sixteen. The two upper fore-teeth are very 

 sharp, and on each side of them there is a kind 

 of wing or beard, like that of an arrow, scarcely 

 visible but on a close inspection. The other teeth 



