HISTORY OF STAFFORDSHIRE. [143 



tail nine inches more, back tawny, belly dirty white, feet and legs 

 almost bare, tail scaly. This species has extirpated the black 

 rat, but they are a dreadful substitute; they swarm about farm- 

 houses, destroying pigeons, poultry, leather, and all kinds of grain 

 in great quantities. Though so rapacious and fierce, they are 

 great cowards, being put to flight in a moment, or destroyed, if 

 caught by the ferret, or by our native animal the weasel, either 

 much less than themselves. 



2. AMPHIBIUS The Water Rat : Length to the tail seven inches, 

 tail five, body covered with long hairs, brownish black, belly grey, 

 tail black, white at the extremity, ears and eyes small. 



3. MUSCULUS The Common Mouse: Differs very little from the 

 common rat except in size ; in other respects similar. 



4. SYLVATICUS The Field Mouse : Larger than the common 

 mouse, back brown, belly grey. 



5. AGRESTIS The Short-tailed Field Mouse: From nose to tail 

 two inches and a half, tail two inches, ears naked, weight one-sixth 

 of an ounce. 



6. AVELLANARIUS The Dormouse : Found in oat-ricks. 

 SCIURUS VULGARIS The Common Squirrel : Upper fore-teeth 



like wedges, lower compressed, colour red brown, belly white, ears 

 tufted, tail a brush. A lively little creature, and nut-cracker: said 

 to do much injury to fir-plantations in severe winters. 



ORDER V. PECORA. 



CERVUS ELAPHUS The Stag , Red Deer, or Hart: Horns round, 

 branched, and turned backwards. A few are kept in parks ; but 

 their ferocity at certain seasons has caused their numbers to be 

 reduced. Weston Park, Chartley > &c. 



2. DAMA The Fallow Deer : Horns compressed, branched, 

 turned backwards, and broad at the extremities. Many of 

 those on Cannock-chase are of the deep brown kind, introduced 

 from Norway. 



CAPRA HIRCUS The Goat : Horns hollow, erect, bending back- 

 wards, body covered with long hair, long beard: domesticated. 



,Ovis ARIES The Sheep: Horns compressed, rough, hollow, sim- 

 ple, spiral, turning outwards; face grey or black, legs of the same 

 colour, wool short, fine : Cannock-wood sheep: improved in pasture. 



2. DOMESTICA: Face and legs white, wool longer, but fine in 

 staple, hornless, fine in bone, thick, compact, inclined to fatter?, 

 quiet in pasture, not inclined to roam or leap : New Leicester sheep. 



