40 



THE MAMMALS OF THE WOODS 



their first appearance in the world. The rabbit (Lepus cxiniculus) is a less agile 

 but more sociable animal than the hare, and, as already mentioned, generally 

 burrows, although sometimes it establishes its household in the hollow of a tree, 

 which it will climb to a considerable height if the trunk be not too straight. 

 Although it leads mainly a nocturnal life, it may often be seen in quiet places at 

 any hour of the day, its principal feeding-times being the morning and evening. 

 Its fecundity is extraordinary ; several times a year, in winter and summer, it has 

 five to eight young ones, which are born in a hole with only one entrance, whereas 

 the usual burrow is open at both ends. So far as can be determined, the rabbit 

 is not properly a denizen of central Europe, its true home being the countries 

 bordering the western end of the Mediterranean basin ; but it is a hardy species, 

 and has now made itself at home over the greater part of the Continent, while it 

 has likewise flourished to such a degree in many parts of Greater Bi-itain, where it 

 has been incautiously introduced, as to become a perfect pest. We shall have to 

 mention the rabbit again, but it may be said here that black rabbits, as well as 

 white ones, are frequently met with in warrens where there seems to have been 

 no admixture of domesticated blood ; and that compared with the hare, great 

 differences are observable in the length of the bones of the various segments of 

 the limbs. 



Long-Taned Rats and mice are spread all over the globe, but are only 



Fieid-Mouse. represented by a few species in the forests of central Europe. As 

 a family (Muridce) the group includes rodents with naked, scale-covered tails and 

 undeveloped first toes. The more typical members of the family may always 

 be distinguished by their long, naked, scale-covered tails, large ears, bright eyes, 

 pointed noses, and graceful little bodies. They are represented in central 

 Europe by one genus only, the true rats and mice, for which there exists no 

 collective popular name. 



■ The long-tailed field-mouse (Mils sylvaticus) scarcely deserves its name, since 

 it is occasionally caught in houses. It is easily distinguished from the house-mouse 

 by its colour, its larger size, and the number of rings of scales round its tail ; the 

 ears being equal to half the length of the head. Its fur is of two colours, 

 yellowish brown and grey above, and white below, the feet and toes being also 

 white. It has a wide distributional area in Europe and western Asia, and is 

 represented by several local races, even the west of England having one peculiar 

 form of the species. Living in forests, gardens, hedges, and cornfields, it digs 

 holes in the earth, and stores up provisions for the winter in such quantities that 

 corn, nuts, or seeds may be taken out of its nest by handfuls. 



continental The field-mouse of eastern Europe (M. agrarius) is in many 



Fieid-Mouse. ways like the last, being brownish above and white below, with 

 white feet, and on the back a black line from head to tail. Its ear measures 

 the third part of its head ; and, if laid flat, does not reach the eye. In autumn 

 this mouse is found in great numbers in stubble-fields, but it is not half so active 

 in climbing and jumping as the last species. In winter it chooses barns and stables 

 for its habitations. It eats grain and other seeds, and also roots, insects, and 



