Long-tailed field mouse of the outer Hebrides. 369 



movements. He was always scratching at the floor of his cage, 

 trying, as it were, to dig a burrow. In those of intermediate 

 colour, the claws of those whose pelage are yellowish are more 

 slender and less curved than the claws of the dusky Polecats. To 

 appreciate the difference in the claws, one must secure examples 

 of pure breed. The very young Polecats, of both varieties, 

 scarcely a few months old, are dark. It is difficult, therefore, 

 to decide at an early age whether they belong to the yellow or to 

 the black race. The best furs are those of the pure yellow 

 Polecat, the bronze-yellow, and the citron-yellow. The skins of 

 the black Polecats are not much esteemed, and rarely come into 

 the market. Finally, in every case, the adult male is always 

 about one-third larger and stouter than the female." 



THE LONG-TAILED FIELD MOUSE OF THE OUTER 

 HEBRIDES: A PROPOSED NEW SPECIES. 



By W. E. de Winton. 



In the summer of 1894 I had the good fortune to visit the 

 island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, and there found the Long- 

 tailed Field Mouse very Cmmon, as recorded in the * Annals of 

 Scottish Natural History' for January, 1895, p. 53. 



This mouse is very distinct from Mus sylvaticus of the main- 

 land, and I have only delayed in describing it as I was in hopes 

 of again visiting the island this year. But though I have been 

 unable to carry out my wish, the next best thing has happened ; 

 for my friend R. W. Pinney, a keen naturalist, has been shooting 

 in the island of Barra, and has kindly sent me specimens, bringing 

 up the number of my collection to over twenty, and confirming 

 my opinion that this peculiar form would be found on all the 

 islands of the group on which Mus sylvaticus occurs. This will 

 show that I am not in a hurry to add to the British list before 

 having fair material to work upon. 



I propose for this mouse the name of 



MUS HEBRIDENSIS, Sp. U. 



Resembling Mus sylvaticus in general form and colour, but 

 having far smaller ears in proportion to its size ; longer hind feet, 

 which are also much stouter in the males ; the form generally of 



