MAMMALS 



doubt whether it preys on shrews, but that it 

 destroys a great many nests of ground build- 

 ing birds is without doubt ; and that it follows 

 moles in their subterranean runs is obvious 

 from its being sometimes caught in the mole 

 trap. 



1 8. Badger. Meles me/es, Linn. 



Bell Meles taxus. 



An uncommon animal, which owes its 

 very existence to its fossorial habits. Were 

 it not gifted with great capabilities of exca- 

 vating it would long since have disappeared 

 from the cultivated parts of the county, in- 



deed probably it has become extinct in nearly 

 all parts. 



19. Otter. Lutra lutra, Linn. 



Bell Lutra vulgaris. 



Not so rare in the streams of Warwickshire 

 as formerly when the upper Avon was a 

 navigable stream. It cannot now be men- 

 tioned as by any means abundant, but has 

 certainly become more common since the 

 navigation has been superseded by railways. 

 A creature of the size of the otter is never 

 likely to be plentiful in a stream passing 

 through a cultivated district. 



RODENTIA 



20. Squirrel. Sciurus leucourus, Kerr. 



Bell Sciurus vulgaris. 



Common in all considerable woods. It is 

 accused by keepers and woodmen of destroy- 

 ing the eggs and young of many tree build- 

 ing birds. 



[Dormouse. Muscardinus ave/lanarius, Linn. 

 The dormouse has been said to occur in 

 the county, though the writer has never met 

 with it, and it is not included by Mr. J. 

 Steele Elliott in his list of the mammals of 

 Sutton Coldfield.] 



21. Brown Rat. Mas decumanus, Pallas. 



An abundant pest of nasty habits, but 

 easily tamed even when not in captivity. 

 Aged males often become solitary in their 

 habits and develop cannibal propensities. 



22. Black Rat. Mm rattus, Linn. 



A few years since the black rat was by no 

 means rare in several localities in the county, 

 all more or less near to the Avon ; and it 

 was supposed that it was introduced by barges 

 laden with grain up that stream from Glouces- 

 ter and Bristol. That was probably the case, 

 as since the navigation of the Avon has 

 ceased the black rats have not been observed. 

 It is still said to frequent some of the Bristol 

 warehouses. 



23. House Mouse. Mus musculus, Linn. 



Too abundant and too great a pest to re- 

 quire further mention. 



24. Long-tailed Field Mouse. Mus sylvati- 



cus, Linn. 



Common and frequenting the open fields. 

 It is one of the prettiest of our mammals, and 

 may be very easily tamed. 



25. Harvest Mouse. Mus minutus, Pallas. 

 So far as the observations of the present 



writer go, this small creature is found only in 

 the southern and western parts of the county 

 and is unknown in the north. It is more 

 common in the valley of the Avon than else- 

 where, preferring the lower and more fertile 

 tracts. 



26. Water Vole. Murotus amphibius, Linn. 



Bell Arvicola amphibius. 

 Common wherever there is water, whether 

 in river, brook, pond, or even ditch. Aquatic 

 plants constitute the chief food, such as the 

 succulent bottom part of the large bulrush 

 and duckweed. When feeding on the latter 

 the animal sits on its hind legs in the manner 

 of a dormouse or squirrel, and conveys the 

 weed to the mouth by the two paws, only 

 the green leafy part being eaten. When 

 hard pressed for food, more especially during 

 floods, the bark of bushes and trees is eaten. 



27. Field Vole. Microtus agrestis, Linn. 



A common and sleepy looking animal 

 having very little intelligence, as any one 

 keeping it in captivity will very soon observe. 

 Sometimes, after severe winters, large orna- 

 mental masses of ivy on walls or other build- 

 ings will be seen in the spring to have dead 

 branches, which on examination will be found 

 to have been barked by mice. It is the pre- 

 sent species, the writer believes, which must 

 be credited with the mischief. 



28. Bank Vole. Evotomys glareolus, Schreber. 

 A less abundant species than the last named, 



but yet not rare. Its habits are very similar 

 to those of the field vole, but it is a much 

 more lively creature, while its brighter colour 

 and less obese form add greatly to its general 

 appearance. This and the last species, as well 

 as the harvest mouse, the long-tailed field 

 mouse, and the three species of shrews, were 

 much more frequently met with before the 



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