MAMMALS were observed by Mr. E. J. Rope in a barn at Little Glemham. 27. Wood Mouse or Long-tailed Field Mouse. Mus sylvaticus, Linn> Very abundant everywhere, frequenting woods, hedge banks, fields and gardens. I have seen it among the tall marram grass on the sea beach between Dunwich and Sizewell. It sometimes enters houses, and especially dairies, from its fondness for milk ; but does not permanently take up its abode there. Owing to its partiality for newly sown peas, beans, and corn of all kinds, it is not a favourite with farmers and gardeners. 28. Yellow-necked Mouse. Mus flavicollisy Melchior. In March 1903 a fine adult female of this large and handsome variety of Mus sylvaticus was captured at Tostock Rectory, near Bury St. Edmunds, by the Rev. J. G. Tuck. It was trapped inside the house, having first be- trayed its presence by biting the door mat in the hall. Mr. Tuck was kind enough to forward it to the writer, who afterwards sent it on to Mr. Southwell of Norwich. It was ultimately examined by Mr. Oldfield Thomas of the British Museum, who pronounced it to be a clearly marked example of the large form of Mus sylvaticus, i.e. Mus sylvaticus wintoni, Barrett-Hamilton. Previous to this occurrence Mr. Barrett-Hamilton had received specimens from Suffolk, but possesses no record of the exact locality. In the Zoologist for April 1903 will be found an interesting article by Mr. Southwell on this large race or subspecies of M. sylvaticus. Mr. Tuck in- formed the writer that he believed a second specimen had been caught in another house in his parish. Besides its superior size and more brilliant colouring, this animal differs from a typical specimen of the long-tailed field mouse, in the shape and extent of the breast spot or collar. In the latter this is a mere spot or streak of fawn, rather variable in size and shape, on the silvery white fur of the under parts ; in the former it is developed into a well marked band across the breast ; the middle portion of this band being pro- duced so as to form a streak, running back- wards for a short distance towards the tail, and also projecting slightly forwards, thus producing a somewhat cross-like figure. Mr. Southwell informs me that a second female example from Tostock was sent him by Mr. Tuck on 18 April 1903. On 18 June Mr, Tuck sent two more specimens, which had been caught by his cat, to the Norwich Museum. 29. Harvest Mouse. Mus minutus, Pallas. This beautiful little animal is not uncom- mon in Suffolk, though perhaps nowhere par- ticularly abundant. Owing to its diminutive size, as well as to a want of interest in matters of natural history among those most likely to come in contact with it, its presence is apt to be overlooked ; and it is probably more gene- rally distributed than is commonly supposed. The harvest mouse is not included in the Messrs. Pagcts' Sietch of the Natural History of Yarmouth, published in 1834, but in more recent years has been found to inhabit some parts of the Yarmouth district. Mr. W. M. Crowfoot has found its nest among the coarse herbage growing on the Norfolk bank of the Waveney at Gillingham, and also in the marram-grass on the beach at Kessingland, almost within reach of the sea-spray.' At Haddiscoe in Norfolk, just over the Suffolk boundary, Mr. Last Farman reports finding these mice in quantity in the bottom of barley- stacks.' The writer has often met with this species at Leiston, and also at Blaxhall, where it is certainly far from uncommon, though, as elsewhere, uncertain and erratic in its appear- ance. Harvest mice have also been observed at Little Glemham, and at Gedgrave near Orford. About Bury St. Edmunds Mr. Travis, taxidermist of that town, considers them common, and at Tostock, between Bury and Stowmarket, they arc stated by Mr. W. H. Tuck to be not uncommon. At Market Weston near Thetford the Rev. E. T. Daubeny has seen two nests, and in the neighbourhood of Needham Market Mr. H. Lingwood has, some thirty years ago, many times come across both the mice and their nests. Mr. E. C. Moor of Great Beal- ings, in a communication to the Zoologist for 1884, p. 190, writes as follows : ' During the autumn of 1883, especially harvest time, several nests of the harvest mouse, Mus mes- sorius, were taken by myself, mostly from barley-fields, being placed upon the laid bar- ley. Almost all contained young ones, num- bering from six to eight, and it was surprising to see how eight fair-sized mice could possibly live in a nest hardly as large as an orange.' In a letter to the writer dated i January 1 903, Mr. Moor refers to this little animal as being rather common at Bealings, and generally observed when threshing in the winter. Har- vest mice are indeed seldom seen except during the threshing of corn stacks, when • ' Mammalia and Reptilia of Norfolk,' T. South- well, Zool. 1871, p. 2756.
- 'The Mammalia of Great Yarmouth,' A. Pat-
terson, Zool. 1898, p. 305. 229
