398 MURID^— MICROTI 



to particular species : — Murston, near Sittingbourne, Kent 

 (Newton) ; Fisherton River, near Salisbury (Blackmore and 

 Alston) ; Dog Holes, Warton Crag, Lancashire (Jackson) ; 

 Corstorphine, Edinburgh (mandible found by Bennie and 

 identified by Newton — see Scott. Nat., 191 3, 97-100, where W. 

 Evans mentions another Scottish find, to be recorded later by 

 Home and Peach) ; and the Irish caves of Co. Clare. As with 

 the Norwegian Lemming, the bones are sometimes remarkably 

 fresh, noticeably those from the Co. Clare caves. 



The absence of Dicrostonyx from Skandinavia is remarkable 

 in contrast to the almost entire restriction therein of L. lemmus. 

 If Lemmus reached Skandinavia from the west, it is difficult 

 to understand why Dicrostonyx failed to do so. It looks as if 

 Lemmus had ousted the more specialised Dicrostonyx in Western 

 Europe. The fact that Dicrostonyx was evidently unable to 

 enter Skandinavia from the east or south, favours the truth of the 

 suggestion of the western origin of Lemmus in Skandinavia.] 



Group MICROTI. 



VOLES OR VOLE-MICE. 



The mice of this group are generally known in recent 

 zoological works as "voles" or "vole-mice." Vole="a field" 

 is an abbreviation of " vole-mouse " = " field-mouse," a north 

 English word used by Barry (1805) for the Orkney species (com- 

 pare Norwegian "voll," Icelandic "voell-r"). The word is often 

 incorrectly used, especially in such cases as " Field Vole" = "Field 

 Field " ! For this reason it is, perhaps, fortunate that it has 

 not reached the general public, but is confined to zoological 

 works. Its use ought to be restricted by naturalists, a course 

 which may, perhaps, be best followed by retaining it for the 

 group Microti, in which sense its application is convenient, 

 and discarding it from the actual species. 



The majority of voles may be distinguished at a glance from 

 lemmings by their smaller head, more slender body, thicker fur, 

 and longer ears and tail ; the latter is (except in Lagurus) much 



