RODENTIA. 



COMMON MOUSE. 



297 

 MVRIDJi. 



COMMON MOUSE. 

 Mus rmisculus. (Linn.) 



Specific Character. — Fur brownish ash colour above, light ash colour 

 beneath ; tail rather shorter than the body ; ears about half the length 

 of the head. 



Mus musculus, Linn. Syst. Nat. Edit. XII. p. 83, sp. 13. Pall. GUr. 



p. 95. MuLLBE, Zool. Dan. Prod. p. 5, sp. 28. Eexl. 



Syst. p. 391, 5. Desmae. Mammal, p. 301, sp. 478. 



Flem. Brit. An. p. 19. Jentns, Brit. Vert. p. 31. 

 ,, domesticus vulgaris s. minor, Rat, Syn. p. 218. 

 Sowis, BcFFON, Hist. Nat. VII. p. 309, t. xxxix. 



Common Mouse, Penn. Brit. Zool. I. p. 122, t. xi. Shaw, Gen. Zool. II. 



p. 56, t. cxxxi. 



There are few animals more generally associated with 

 mankind, or whose very existence appears to be more 

 essentially dependent upon human arts and human civili- 

 zation, than this pretty but annoying little pest. Domestic 

 in its habits, nourished by almost every article of human 

 food, and obtaining effectual shelter in the secret recesses 

 of the habitations which human art has raised, it has 

 accompanied man in all his adventures for colonization, 

 and identiiied itself with every new territorial occupation 

 of our race. It is 'not in our houses, however, that the 



