552 MURID^— MICROMYS 



in the kitchen of the house itself, there seemed to be nothing but rats 

 in plenty. 



Like A. sylvaticus, wintoni probably breeds throughout the greater 

 part of the- year. Mr Adams has found new-born young in July, 

 October, and November ; he once met with a litter of six. We are 

 indebted to the same gentleman for a sketch of what appears to be 

 a well-marked case of superfoetation (Fig. 88) ; the right uterine cornu 

 contained four relatively well-developed embryos, while in the left cornu 

 were two much smaller.^ 



According to Melchior, the typical form lays up winter stores and 

 sometimes enters houses and corn-ricks in winter. Its pairing season 

 begins in February and continues at intervals throughout the summer, 

 there being from four to eight young in a litter. He makes the 

 remarkable assertion that if a female be the tenant of a room and with- 

 out a mate, she will pair with the House Mouse ; the progeny of such a 

 Union are described as recognisable hybrids showing some similarity to 

 each parent, but being characterised constantly by their long hind feet 

 and dark-coloured soles. 



Genus MICROMYS. 



1841. MiCROMYS, A. Dehne, " Micromys agilis, kleinmaus, ein neues Sdugthier der 

 Fauna von Dresden^' i ; based on Micromys agilis of Dehne = Af»J soricinus of 

 Hermann = AfzVro»2/j minutus soricinus; Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., May 

 1905, 492 (part) ; Miller [Catalogue). 

 Mus of most writers prior to Thomas, 1905, quoted above. 



The genus Micromys is now restricted to the Harvest 

 Mice. These are regarded as belonging to a single species, 

 M. minutus, which, notwithstanding a wide distribution extend- 

 ing from Britain through the central parts of Europe and Asia 

 to Japan, appears to be subject to surprisingly little geographical 

 variation. 



In all the essential features of its organisation this genus 

 is not unlike Apodemus, and there can be little doubt, although 

 the positive evidence of fossils is not yet forthcoming, that it is 

 descended from primitive Apodemus-\\ke. ancestors. Micromys 

 is characterised by numerous external and internal features 

 which are apparently the outcome of a peculiar specialisation 



> Mr Adams writes : — " I sent the specimen to Barrett-Hamilton, and he sent 

 me his opinion that it was not a case of superfoetation, but that the two small 

 embryos had died," 



