19 



THE ORKNEY VOLE AND ITS PARASITES. 



G. A. DUNLOP, 

 Warrmgton. 



During the past summer five specimens ot the new British 

 mammal, the Orkney Vole, Microtiis orcadensis Millais., have 

 been added to the collection in the Warrington Museum. The 

 animals were captured on the Loans, Stromness, by Mr. George 

 Ellison of Liverpool, and presented by him to the Museum. 

 What is still more interesting was the capture, also in the same 

 runs with the Voles, of two Lesser Shrews, Sorex 7ninutus. The 

 identification of the Shrews has been confirmed by Mr. T. A. 

 Coward, who remarks upon their unusually large size. 



Millais,* quoting from Harvie-Brown,t who again was 

 quoting from Baikie and Heddle,| states that the Lesser 

 Shrew is unknown in Orkney, and the Common Shrew found in 



Plan of Orh;ney Voles Nest 

 a few places. W. Eagle Clarke § says, ' I make bold, how- 

 ever, to say that I very much doubt if the Common Shrew has 

 ever been captured in Orkneys.' He has caught and received 

 many Lesser Shrews from Orkneys, but not a single Common 

 Shrew. Mr. Ellison's captures go to confirm W. E. Clarke's 

 observations. It is to be regretted that no reliable dimensions 

 of the Shrews were taken in the flesh, as the skins shew signs 

 of stretching, and consequently are useless foV scientific 

 measurement. But their large size might easily at first lead 

 one to suppose they belonged to the Common Shrew. 



Mr. Ellison also brought back with him no fewer than ii8 

 specimens of fleas taken from the captured Voles. These have 



igo8 January i. 



