420 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



he is enabled to record it as an inhabitant of that country." On 

 this it may be observed that Thompson thought it could not with 

 certainty be included in the fauna of Ireland, while the late 

 Mr. A. G. More ascertained that the species referred to by 

 Dr. Kinahan was the young of Mus sylvaticus. 



The accurate account given of it by White should be read by 

 every one who desires to know something of its habits. He 

 measured one, and found that from nose to tail it was just 2\ in. 

 with a tail 2 inches long. Two of them in a scale weighed down 

 just one copper halfpenny, which is about a third of an ounce 

 avoirdupois, or one-sixth the weight of an adult common House 

 Mouse. The average dimensions of seven adults, irrespective of 

 sex, taken in Suffolk by Mr. Rope, were as follows : — Length of 

 head and body, 2 in. 7 J lines ; length of tail, 2 in. 1 line ; total 

 length, 4 in. 8J lines. 



The colour of the Harvest Mouse, though very beautiful, is 

 in most works given in rather general terms, without going much 

 into details, and gives the idea of a uniform tint prevailing on 

 the upper parts ; whereas, in all the specimens which have been 

 examined, the bright sandy yellow or orange-fawn of the upper 

 part was purest and brightest towards the tail ; being focussed 

 (so to speak) on the hind-quarters just at the root of the tail, and 

 extending underneath as far as the vent. This bright but 

 delicate tint shades off gradually, above, into the light yellowish 

 or orange-brown which is the prevailing colour of the upper 

 parts, the latter hue becoming again brighter and lighter as it 

 extends downwards to meet the white of the under parts, The 

 fur of the cheeks and that surrounding the ears is also bright 

 sandy or orange ; the hams are nearly always of that colour, 

 varying, however, in intensity in different individuals. There is 

 considerable variation, too, in the colour of the upper parts, the 

 brilliant fawn tint being more or less wanting in some specimens, 

 whereas in others it is more generally diffused, and less con- 

 centrated on the hind- quarters, being apparently most pro- 

 nounced in the female sex. The long and beautifully formed 

 flexile feet are covered with fine hairs of a yellowish colour, 

 shading off on each side to white, the under side being naked. 

 The tail is scantily furnished with short hairs as far as the 

 extremity. 



With regard to the colour of the young, I remarked in the 



