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NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



KODENTIA. 



Climbing Powers of the Long-tailed Field Mouse.— During autumn 

 and early winter Long-tailed Field Mice (Mus sylvaticus) eat the kernels 

 of wild rose seeds in large numbers. To obtain the hips, the Mice climb 

 among the briers, often travelling to the extremities of slender twigs in 

 order to reach the fruit. The hips are nipped off with about a quarter of 

 an inch of stalk attached, and if there be a bird's nest within easy reach are 

 invariably taken to it. A search in the leafless hedgerows will result in the 

 finding of many nests which the Mice have used. A Thrush's or Black- 

 bird's is perhaps the favourite, but, failing this, a Hedge-Sparrow's or Green- 

 finch's, or even the fragile structure of a Whitethroat will serve. The Mice 

 do not eat the fruit itself, but extract the seeds through a hole nibbled in 

 the side, and, gnawing these with their chisel-like teeth, obtain the kernels. 

 The empty seeds are left with the red pulp of the fruit, and I have seen 

 piled up in a Thrush's nest as much of this debris as would fill a quart 

 measure. In the neighbourhood of Alderley Edge I trapped several Long- 

 tailed Field Mice in birds' nests last November — one of them in a Green- 

 finch's nest more than seven feet from the ground. The stomachs of those 

 I examined were filled with a whitish mass of finely comminuted kernels, 

 one containing in addition a small fragment of red fruit. It would appear 

 that birds' nests are resorted to not merely on account of their convenient 

 proximity to the growing fruit, for husks of acorns which must have been 

 carried from the ground are sometimes present among the hips. A further 

 reason may be that the Mice, when feeding in the nests, are comparatively 

 secure from the attacks of their many enemies. — Charles Oldham 

 (Alderley Edge). 



AVES. 



Flock of Crossbills at Yeovil, Somerset. — I received on Dec. 17th, 

 from Mr. E. Little, gun manufacturer, of Yeovil, six Crossbills (Loxia 

 curvirostra), shot from a large flock on Dec. 15th by a local farmer. Three 

 of them were too much damaged to allow of preservation. — Stanley 

 Lewis (Wells, Somerset). 



