86 ANIMAL LIFE OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



it does not occur in Scotland. From Ireland it is entirely 

 absent. Eastward it extends only to Asia Minor. 



The head is comparatively large, with blunt muzzle, prominent 

 eyes, broadly rounded short ears, and long whiskers. The 

 dentition is much the same as that of the Squirrel : there is a 

 single large incisor on each side of the upper and lower jaws, 

 and one premolar and three molars after a considerable blank : 

 *i> c %>P m T m s 2a The enamel ridges of these cheek- 

 teeth constitute a rasping surface such as no other mammal 

 possesses. 



The soft, dense fur of the Dormouse was of repute anciently 

 as a remedy for ear diseases and paralysis. The English name 

 can be traced back certainly to the fifteenth century, and is 

 considered to embody the verb dorm to doze, still used in 

 the North of England, which brings it very close to the 

 Sleepmouse of Southern England and Sleeper of other parts. 

 Derrymouse, Dorymouse, and Dozing-mouse are other local 

 variants. 



Albino varieties are very rare ; but individuals with white- 

 tipped tails are reported not infrequently. 



Harvest Mouse (Micromys minutns, Pallas). 



With the exception of the Lesser Shrew the pretty little 

 Harvest Mouse is the smallest of British mammals. It long 

 held that distinction, until the Lesser Shrew was shown to be a 

 distinct species and not the young of the Common Shrew. The 

 Harvest Mouse will always be associated with the name of 

 Gilbert White, for it was in his letters to Pennant that it was 

 first made known as a British mouse, and its appearance and 

 habits were published by Pennant in his " British Zoology." 



The head and body combined measure less than two and a 

 half inches, and the nearly naked, scaly tail is almost as long. 

 The thick, soft fur of the upper side is yellowish-red in colour, 



