418 
FIELD MOUSE. 
though very rarely in this act, and doubtlessly in¬ 
duced by caprice or adventitious circumstances. 
In the height of summer these birds seem reluctant 
to desist from song at the close of day, and once in 
particular I remarked the Song-tlirush in full de¬ 
livery at half-past nine on June 7th. But besides 
these birds arbitrarily designated song birds, a 
great variety of other species are active during 
darkness, and consequently then principally emit 
their respective notes, such as the Owl, Goatsucker, 
Plovers, Landrail, Quail, many kinds of water fowl, 
and a host of others recognised by naturalists; and 
again there is one instance known to me in which 
the bird is no songster, but w T as through some ac¬ 
cident set on the cui vive in the depth of a moonlight 
night. This instance was in a Magpie which was 
chattering in high glee on the night of October 
1st, 1838. 
The long-tailed field Mouse stores up grain and 
roots for its winter provision, and sleeps during the 
severe part of that season. Often however it takes 
up its abode in “ potatoe caves,” where a store and 
comfortable habitation are at once provided. On 
January 11th, 1839,1 opened a “ potatoe cave” in 
my garden, and found three mice, which had formed 
nests for themselves of the reed which covered the 
roots. The thermometer stood at 48°, and they were 
then so active as to make an immediate escape ; 
hence the habits of this species in regard of torpi¬ 
dity are sui generis, it obeys the instinctive call to a 
quiescent state at a precise degree of cold, and 
which according to Fleming is that of eleven degrees 
above the freezing point. 
New species of Helix .—In my somewhat suc¬ 
cessful searches after the beautiful series of our 
land molluscs, I fortunately in October, 1839,— 
subsequently to my catalogue being printed, met 
with a specimen different from all others I had seen. 
