HABITS OF THE HARVEST MOUSE. 57 



slicing off the outer skin or bran, and letting it fall like the 

 shavings from the tool of a wood-turner at his lathe, to whose 

 operations the whole process bears a striking resemblance ; nor 

 does he begin eating till he has reduced the grain to a perfectly 

 white and almost cylindrical body. On placing a Harvest Mouse 

 for a few minutes in a vessel containing broom-seed, I was 

 surprised to see it, after searching about among the seeds, pick 

 up one and devour it. 



As to their carnivorous and insectivorous propensities, these 

 mice are well known to be fond of flies, of which they will devour 

 several kinds ; they catch them in a singularly adroit manner, 

 and without the least apparent effort or exertion. On a fly being 

 put into the cage, the mouse, instead of rushing about after the 

 insect, appears at first to take no notice whatever of it ; but wlien 

 the latter, in buzzing about the cage, approaches within its reach, 

 in the twinkling of an eye he has it firmly grasped in his paws, 

 and it is devoured almost before one can realise the fact of its 

 being caught, the wings and legs being generally rejected. These 

 mice will probably devour many other insects, and I have seen 

 woodlice eaten by them. In common with M. musculus, M. 

 sylvaticus, and A. agrestis, the present species appears to possess 

 carnivorous tastes, and cannot honestly be declared innocent of 

 the charge of cannibalism ; one of mine, having died from the 

 effects of an accident, had its head eaten by its companion. The 

 prehensile power of the tail is certainly more perfectly developed 

 in this than in any other British species of its genus ; though 

 not altogether wanting in M. musculus, as may be easily seen in 

 the pole-climbing feats of the trained mice so often exhibited in 

 the streets of London and elsewhere. The voice of the Harvest 

 Mouse is not pitched so high as that of the Common Mouse, and 

 more resembles a harsh grating chirp than a squeak. I have 

 never as yet been so fortunate as to get this little animal to breed 

 in confinement, but do not as yet despair of success.* I find that 

 even under the disadvantage of a square sleeping-box, with which 

 my only present example (a female) is provided, and which is 

 much larger than necessary for so small a tenant, the superior 



* In 'The Field' of Jan. 2nd, 1875, will be found an accoiint of some 

 young Harvest Mice which we had at that time in coniinement, supplemented 

 by some interesting remarks by the late Dr. J. E. Gray on the behaviour of 

 a second litter which we had presented to Mrs. Gray. — Ed. 



The ZooLOGisr. — Jan. 188i. f 



