HABITS OF THE HARVEST MOUSE. 59 



most works given in rather general terms, without going much 

 into details ; and gives the idea of a uniform tint prevailing on 

 the upper parts, whereas, in all the specimens which I have 

 examined, the bright sandy yellow or orange fawn of the upper 

 part was purest and brightest towards the tail ; being focussed 

 (so to speak) on the hind-quarters just at the root of the tail, and 

 extending underneath as far as the vent. This bright but 

 delicate tint shades off gradually, above, into the light yellowish- 

 or orange-brown, which is the prevailing colour of the upper 

 parts, the latter hue becoming again brighter and lighter as it 

 extends downwards to meet the white of the under parts. The 

 fur of the cheeks and that surrounding the ears is also bright 

 sandy or orange ; the hams are nearly always of that colour, 

 varying, however, in intensity in different individuals. There is 

 considerable variation, too, in the colour of the upper parts, the 

 brilliant fawn tint being more or less wanting in some specimens, 

 whereas in others it is more generally diffused, and less con- 

 centrated on the hind-quarters, being, I fancy, most pronounced, 

 as a rule, in the female sex ; but of this fact I cannot speak 

 positively, not having had the opportunity of examining anything 

 like so many females as males. In a very large and probably old 

 male, which I kept lately in a cage with others, the orange tint 

 was almost altogether absent, the fur of the upper part being of a 

 nearly uniform brown, of a similar shade to that of a very old 

 example of M. decumanihs, a species, by the way, which appears 

 to me to approach nearer in the form of the head and general 

 expression of countenance to the Harvest Mouse than does 

 either M. musculus or M. sylvaticus. 



Another male had the middle of the back of a dark red- 

 brown, inclining to purple ; this purplish shade, which in a less 

 degree is visible on the back of most specimens, being produced 

 apparently by an unusual abundance of the longer and coarser 

 hairs which are found on that part of the body. The long and 

 beautifully-formed feet are covered with fine hairs of a yellowish 

 colour, shading off on each side to white, the under surface being 

 naked. The tail is scantily furnished with short hairs as far as 

 the extremity. 



The average dimensions of seven adults, irrespective of sex, 

 is as follows : — Length of head and body, 2 in. 7|- lines ; length 

 of tail, 3 in. 1 line ; total length, 4 in. 8| lines. 



