300 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



mouse was caught in my garden at Witley, in an old nest of a 

 Song-Thrush. It was in a complete state of torpor. It died 

 shortly afterwards from shock, and on skinning it I found it 

 extremely fat. 



Yellow-necked Mouse (Mus flavicollis). — The name given for 

 this Mouse by Barrett-Hamilton in his excellent monograph on 

 "Mus sylvaticus and its Subspecies " (P. Z. S., April 3rd, 1900) 

 is De Winton's Mouse (M. sylvaticus ivintoni), and at one time I 

 was also inclined to agree as to its being merely a subspecies or 

 variety ; but I now think if Microtus orcadensls and Evotomys 

 skomerensis are entitled to full specific rank, then Mus flavicollis 

 must be granted it also. Therefore I prefer to use the name 

 adopted by Mr. de Winton (Zool. 1894, p. 441). I have lately 

 obtained several specimens of this Mouse near Witley. On look- 

 ing at a Yellow-necked Mouse one cannot fail to be struck with 

 the difference to that of the Common Wood-Mouse (M. sylvaticus). 

 It has, on the whole, a decidedly more thoroughbred look, besides 

 its superior size and brighter colour, to that of its near ally. In 

 the typical sylvaticus the length of the tail never exceeds that of 

 head and body, but, on the contrary, is always shorter. In 

 flavicollis the tail nearly always exceeds head and body, rarely 

 equalling it, but is never shorter. The yellow pectoral band is 

 present more or less in quite young specimens. De Winton's 

 measurements for this Mouse are —head and body, 108 mm. to 

 115 ; tail, 108 to 115 ; hind foot, 24 ; ear, 18. The skull is 

 larger and stronger than sylvaticus ; length, 27 mm. and up- 

 wards (Barrett-Hamilton). 



The following is a table of measurements (in millimetres) of 

 seven selected specimens of my own collecting : — 



No. Sex. 



i 



H. B 



Tail. 



Hind foot. 



Ear. 



Skull length. 



Skull breadth. 



1 



Male 



100 



115 



25 



15 



broken 



broken 



2 



Male 



110 



110 



25-5 



13 



29 



13 



3 



Female ... 



111 



111 



23 



18 



30 



15 



4 



Female ... 



107-5 



108 



23 



18 



broken 



broken 



5 



Male 



100 



105 



22 



16-5 



j» 



!' 



6 Female ... 



98 



102 



23-5 



17-5 



i» 



>> 



7 



Female ... 

 (juv.) 



71-5 



79 



14 



14 



>! 



5) 



