WOOD MOUSE. 89 



various species of Mice, it has been found necessary to break 

 up the old Linnean genus Mus into several smaller genera. In 

 this process our little Harvest Mouse becomes the sole British 

 representative of the genus Micromys. 



Wood Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticits. Linn.). 



An alternative name for the Wood Mouse is Long-tailed 

 Field Mouse, and but for the fact that Linnaeus dubbed it Miis 

 sylvaticus, it would be better to adopt Pennant's designation, 

 for it is much more an inhabitant of the field, the hedgerow, 

 and the garden than of the wood. It is, indeed, the cause of 

 something approaching despair to the keeper of the kitchen 

 garden ; for this is the miscreant that ploughs up and eats the 

 newly sown peas that have not been rolled in red lead or soaked 

 in paraffin. He has also a great fondness for strawberries at 

 the moment they have become ripe. 



The Wood Mouse is about three and a half inches long from 

 the long snout to the base of the tail ; and the tail by itself falls 

 only a very little short of that length. The fur on the upper 

 parts is a dark yellow-brown ; the under parts white. In adults 

 the line of demarcation is always distinct. There is a spot of 

 buff or orange on the chest whose development in certain local 

 races has enabled recent systematists to make five species out 

 of this one. It has large and prominent dark eyes for it is 

 chiefly of nocturnal habits and its long oval ears have the 

 inner margin turned inwards at the base. The tail is dark 

 brown above, and whitish below. It is the commonest of the 

 British mammals in country places, but less frequent in Ireland. 

 It is common in Europe as far north as Sweden and Norway. 



As a rule it constructs its burrows underground or under the 

 roots of trees, and here it stores up great quantities of nuts, 

 haws, grain, and smaller seeds for use in winter, when it 

 becomes inactive, though it does not really hibernate. But if 



