THE YELLOW-NECKED MOUSE IN SHROPSHIRE. 109 



The proportion of the sexes in this neighbourhood seems to 

 be about equal (I understand that observers in other parts 

 of the country have found a preponderance of females), and 

 the evidence points to the adults going about in pairs, for 

 whenever I have trapped a Mouse of one sex I have invariably 

 taken another of the opposite sex on the same spot shortly after. 

 Once I caught them together ! Something had been eating 

 holly-berries on a bedroom window-sill, and suspecting a Yellow- 

 neck I put, not having a proper trap handy, an ordinary box- 

 trap baited with a piece of cheese — by the way, though Long- 

 tailed Mice of both races refuse cheese when offered them as 

 food, yet it is the best of all baits ; the reason, I suppose, 

 being that they can smell it so far away, and enter the trap to 

 see what it is. On this occasion it was most effective, for in 

 the morning there were two of the finest Yellow-necked Mice 

 that I have seen, tightly wedged in the little trap. They were 

 quite unhurt ; even their long tails were not damaged, but how 

 they had both got in I do not know. I put them in a cage and 

 kept them for some time, until they escaped, through an accident. 

 They were beautiful creatures to watch, being wonderfully 

 graceful in their movements and most particular over their 

 toilet ; they would sit up and clean themselves in the daintiest 

 manner. It was astonishing what high 'jumps they took when 

 endeavouring to reach the roof of their cage. I provided them 

 with small sticks and twigs, among which they performed all 

 sorts of acrobatic feats, and there can be no doubt that the 

 Y'ellow-necked Mouse and the Long-tailed are both quite as 

 much at home up aloft as the more obviously arboreal Dormouse. 

 I have frequently found Long-tails in nests that had been made 

 by the latter species, and as I have seen a Long-tailed Mouse 

 come out of a nest which only the day before had held a 

 Dormouse, I think the presumption is that they often turn out 

 the rightful owners. 



When caged the Long-tailed Mouse is usually a most gentle 

 creature, ready to welcome in a friendly fashion any stranger 

 of its own species that may be introduced, and tolerant of other 

 Mice ; but my experience of the larger race is that they are 

 far from being so amiable, and my captives have shown so 

 much animosity towards their smaller relatives that I doubt 



