THE MOUSE TRIBE . 
*45 
rather small; and the colour of the fur is yellowish red above and white 
beneath. t 
The harvest-mouse, although local, is widely distributed in the British Islands, 
and extends over the great part of Europe, ranging eastwards through Russia into 
Siberia, and occurring as far south as the north of Italy. This species usually keeps 
far away from human habitations, frequenting cornfields and pastures; but is often 
carried home with corn-sheaves, and then spends the winter in the rick where they 
are deposited. In the latter situations, the harvest-mouse remains active throughout 
the year; but when living in the open fields it constructs a burrow in which to pass 
the winter months in a state of torpor. The summer nest is a globular structure of 
grass and leaves suspended among the corn-stalks at some distance from the ground ; 
THE BAEBARY MOUSE (nat. Size). 
and when ascending or descending the stems to reach this nest, or in search of food, 
the little creatures are much aided by their prehensile tails. No better description 
of this nest exists than the one given by White, which although often quoted will 
bear one more repetition. He writes that the structure was “most artificially 
platted, and composed of the blades of wheat; perfectly round and about the size 
of a cricket ball, with the aperture so ingeniously closed, that there was no discover¬ 
ing to what part it belonged. It was so compact and well filled that it would roll 
across the table without being discomposed, though it contained eight little mice that 
were naked and blind.” The number in a litter varies from five to eight or nine, 
and it is probable that there are several broods in the course of a summer. The 
numbers of the species are, however, kept down by the hosts of predaceous birds 
and small carnivorous mammals that make it their prey. Like the long-tailed field- 
mouse, the present species is partly insectivorous in its diet. Mr. Harting states 
that he has several times kept harvest-mice in captivity, and succeeded in rearing 
VOL. in. — io 
