4o6 MURID^— EVOTOMYS 



Synonymy: — The first three items refer to the species glareolus ; 

 the remainder to the British sub-species britannicus. Schreber's descrip- 

 tion and figure oi glareolus are so poor that doubts have been expressed 

 (by Miller) as to the identity of the animal thus named, but, since 

 Melchior applied the name glareolus to the Danish Evotomys, and 

 nothing in Schreber's description is inconsistent with Melchior's deter- 

 mination, the name, which has been widely accepted, is entitled to stand, 

 thus avoiding resuscitation of Melchior's hercynicus. The species 

 was mentioned for the first time by Pallas i^Novce Species Quad e Glirium, 

 247), who considered it a variety of his Mus rutilus. 



Terminology and local names : — The species is not distinguished 

 locally, the following being merely book names: — Bank Campagnol 

 (translating the technical name riparia), Yarrell, 1832; Jenyns, 1835. 

 Bank Vole, Bell, ed. i., 1837, and ed. ii., 1874; Lydekker, 1895; 

 Thomas, 1898; Johnston, 1903; Millais, 1905; and most modern 

 authors. Red or Meadow Vole, MacGillivray, 1838. Red Field Vole, 

 Alston, in Bell, ed. ii., 1874. Red Vole or Wood Vole, Johnston, 

 1903. Red-backed Meadow-Mouse, English. Red-backed Mouse of 

 American writers. The word "vole" being, as explained above 

 (p. 398), objectionable, the name " Bank Mouse " would seem to be 

 appropriate. 



History and status: — The Bank Mouse of Britain was first 

 described in 1832 by Yarrell, who believed it to be new to science. 

 Soon afterwards, specimens were forthcoming from several counties, 

 and Bell rightly referred them to the present species already known by 

 several synonyms. Jenyns also reached the same conclusion {Ann. and 

 Mag. Nat. Hist., June 1841, 270) after examining one taken by William 

 Thompson at Aberarder, Inverness-shire (see Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. 

 Hist., 2nd sen, iii., 1839, 585). Other early discoverers of it were Selby 

 in Northumberland {Mag. ZooL and Bot., ii., 1838, 92); Eyton in 

 Shropshire {Ann. Nat. Hist., Feb. 1 840, 397), and Bond in Middlesex 

 {Zoologist, 1887, 425). In Scotland it was first identified by MacGillivray, 

 who, previously to 1838, examined specimens taken by Weir at Bathgate, 

 Linlithgowshire ; Edward also found it in Banffshire (Smiles's Life of a 

 Scotch Naturalist, ed. i., 1 876, App., 393). It was long reputed a rarity, 

 as shown by the comparatively recent dates of first records for many 

 counties where it is now well known, and it was not until after the 

 introduction of efficient methods of trapping that its status in Britain 

 was recognised. Although far below specific rank, the British Bank 

 Mouse is, from its deep coloration, an easily recognisable sub-species 

 when a series of specimens are examined. 



Distribution: — The species glareolus is found usually in wooded 

 districts, but not in the higher mountains, through boreal and temperate 

 Europe, exclusive of the Iberian Peninsula, from Scotland, Skandinavia, 



