VALIDITY OF THE YELLOW-NECKED MOUSE. 248 



regarding flavicollis as a valid species were, as previously stated, 

 given in the paper referred to above. As to the further facts 

 which I regard as making the validity of Mils flavicollis as a species 

 more binding, I have received a communication from a well- 

 known naturalist, whose opinion should certainly carry weight. 

 He wrote to me as follows : — 



"I am glad to find someone who has come to the same 

 opinion as myself as to De Winton's Mouse (i. e. flavicollis) being 

 a species and not a variety of Mus sylvaticus. One of the 

 strongest facts is their difference in disposition and habits, and 

 in these characteristics they are as different as possible. 



" Many consider, as I said before, that the Yellow-necked and 

 the Wood Mouse are only varieties of the same species. I do 

 not, for the following reasons : — 



" (1.) Mus sylvaticus is a gentle animal, easily tamed, good- 

 natured, so that many can be kept in a cage together and 

 no fighting takes place. Gentleness and kindness are their 

 characteristics. 



" (2.) De Winton's (i. e. flavicollis) is as savage as a Norway 

 Eat, rushing at the finger and biting in a moment. You cannot 

 keep two males together. They fight most savagely at once, 

 even when the season of rut is passed. They fight to the 

 death. 



" (3.) You never see a Mouse with the long tail without it 

 being accompanied by the Yellow-neck " (here this gentleman's 

 and my experience coincide) " big ear and foot, and on no 

 occasion do you ever find a mixture of the characteristics of the 

 two species.* 



" (4.) If you put a female Wood Mouse with a buck Yellow- 

 neck he instantly attacks her, and will kill her if she is not 

 removed from the cage. 



" (5.) If you are in a district where both occur, and you find 

 that Field Mice are invading your house and store-room, you 

 will trap five Yellow-necks to one sylvaticus, and the latter are 

 twenty times more numerous. 



" (6.) In the autumn you may turn out fifteen or more 

 sylvaticus from one burrow, but who ever saw more than a male 

 and female and young come from a Yellow-neck's burrow ? I 



* Vide Mr. Millais's remarks below. 



u2 



