THE FIELD-MOUSE 155 



about the same length as the body and head 

 added together, and is annulated, presenting 

 some 150 rings. The hands have five- 

 palmar pads, and the feet six pads. There 

 are six mammae in the female, the anterior 

 pair being pectoral. 



The general colour of the dorsal surface 

 is described as wood-brown, which pales at the 

 front end and towards the shoulders and flanks, 

 and grows to a more reddish tinge at the pos- 

 terior end. The whole of the lower surface 

 is of dull, white, silvery colour, and on some 

 well-developed specimens there is a spot of 

 buff, or orange, on the throat, which sometimes 

 lengthens out to form a collar. Moulting 

 seems to be rare — at any rate but a few cases 

 have been recorded. 



The field-mouse occurs all over Europe, 

 and extends into parts of Asia. It is found 

 all the way from Iceland, southward to Algiers, 

 and from Ireland to India. In the Himalayas 

 it has been taken at a height of 11,500 feet, 

 and in the mountains of Europe it frequently 

 occurs at a height of 7000 feet. It is certainly 

 the most universally distributed of European 

 animals, and the number of individual speci- 

 mens probably far exceeds that of any other 

 mammal which occurs in its district. 



The field-mouse does not hibernate like 

 the dor-mouse, but is active and hardy at 



