PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE MAMMALS OF NEW YORK 313 



Mus musculus Linnaeus House mouse 



1758 [Mus] musculus Linnaeus, Syst. nat. ed. 10. i : 62. 

 1842 Mus musculus De Kay, Zoology of New York, Mammalia, p. 82. 

 1884 Mus musculus Merriam, Linn. soc. New York. Trans. 2 .162. 

 1896 Mus musculus Fisher, The Observer. May 1896. 7 1197. 

 1898 Mus musculus Mearns, Am. mus. nat. hist. Bui. 9 Sep. 1898. 

 3379- 



1898 Mus musculus Mearns, U. S. Nat mus. Proc. 21 1351. 

 Type locality. Sweden. 



Faunal position. The house mouse on account of its semi-domestica- 

 tion can not be assigned to any definite faunal position. 



Habitat. Buildings, fields, and occasionally woodlands. 



Distribution in New York. This animal is abundant throughout the 

 settled part of New York. It is by no means strictly confined to 

 buildings. 



Principal records. De Kay : " This familar little species has also been 

 introduced from Europe into this country since its discovery. It has 

 everywhere followed the footsteps of man ..." ('42, p. 82). Merriam; 

 " I have observed the house mouse in many of the camps scattered through 

 the Adirondacks and have killed it, though rarely, at a considerable dis- 

 tance from the habitations of man. It is common in the fertile valleys along 

 the outskirts of the wilderness, living in the fields during the short sum- 

 mer season, and returning to the dwellings, barns and haystacks at the 

 approach of winter" ('84, p. 162). Fisher : "Common in the corn and rye 

 fields as well as around buildings" ('96, p. 197). Mearns: " Common in 

 fields and houses. Several were trapped under stacks of fodder corn 

 standing in the fields. None were caught in the woods" ('98b, p. 351). 



I have found the house mouse abundant at Geneva, Ontario co. 

 Peterboro, Madison co. and Elizabethtown, Essex co. 



Mr Savage reports it abundant at Buffalo. 



Helme : " The house mouse is abundant on Long Island." 



Mus decumanus Pallas House rat 



1778 Mus decumanus Pallas, Nov. Sp. Quadr. e Glir. Ord., p. 91. 

 1842 Mus decumanus De Kay, Zoology of New York, Mammalia, p. 79. 

 1884 Mus decumanus Merriam, Linn. soc. New York. Trans. 2 : 161. 

 1896 Mus decumanus Fisher, The Observer. May 1896. 7:197. 

 1898 Mus decumanus Mearns, Am. mus. nat. hist. Bui. 9 Sep. 1898. 

 10: 336. 



1898 Mus decumanus Mearns, U. S. Nat. mus. Proc. 21 : 351. 



