[84 The Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland
T h e fo llow in g su b -sp e c ie s a re re co gn ised a s in h a b itin g G re a t B r it a in and
s ü b -s Pe c ï e s r | ■ ;
T h e B r i t i s h W o o d M o u s e
Mus sylvaiicus intermedins,1 B eHa jhy , ... "
Characters.—In a d u lts the u p p e r p a r t s a re ' ^ an d jr -red d ish b rown, th e low e r
p a r ts p ure white . T h e b a sa l 5 • .»-thirds • o f ^tjié/.hair, w h ich - i s hid d en , s la te y
g re y . M an y o f th e d o r sa l h a ir s , e sp e c ia lly in the m id dle o f the b a ck, a re . tip p ed ,
w ith b la c k • the se b la ck h a ir s sure m o st p ro fu se in win te r, b u t ,in th i s re sp e c t T h e re
i s co n s id e rab le in d iv id u a l v a r ia tio n . In m an y e x am p le s there, i s a san d y -eo lo y red
b re a s t sp o t w h ich often e x ten d s a lon g the median v en t ra l su r fa c e i n e ith e r a th in ..
o r b ro ad lin e . In some few e x am p le s the u n d e r p a r ts a re g re y ish . F em a le s n u r s in g
y o u n g o ften become b a re o r have the wh ite u n d e r su r fa c e s fa in ed . - In im m a tu re
sp e c imen s th e g en e ra l co lo u r o f the u p p e r p a r ts i s g r e y is h b rown,, an d th e -a n im a l
somewha t re sem b le s the h ou se m ouse . T h e s e g r e y im m a tu re ? m a y b e c a u g h t a s
la te a s Decem be r , since th is su b -spe c ie s b re ed s u n til la te in S ep tem be r .
T h e r e i s con s id e rab le va r ia tio n in size. B e l l g iv e s : L en g th o f he ad and "body
~ jn ch e s 8 l in e s ; he ad i ia eh i l in e ; e a r s 7 l in e s ; ta il 3 in ches.' 8 'liné s . . M h R ö p é
g i v e s : 2 A v e r a g e len g th o f head and b o d y - 3 - in c h e s 9 $ lin e s p. ta i l 3' in ch e s 5 'Bries.-.
T h e la rg e s t fema le m e a su red b y M r. R o p e w a s 8 in ch e s 2 lin e s in ''to ta l leftgtjh, o f
w h ich th e head and body we re 4 in che s 6 lin e s an d th e t a i l . 3 irtchès 8 4irieS:'
A v è ra g e len g th o f sk u ll 2 $ mm., and r a r e ly e x c e ed in g 2 6 mm. .x
E x am p le s from the North o f S c o tlan d se em to b e s l ig h t ly sm a lle r ' ancl g r e y e r ■
D istribution.— T h i s stib -sp e c ies in h a b its E n g la n d ; S c o tlan d , Ire la n d , th é I nnër
H e b r id e s , S h e tlan d , and ÜK6 C h an n e l Is lan d s . On the C o n t in en t it - is fb u r id in
H o lla n d , B e lg ium , Brittany and N o r th -w e s t F ra n c e , S o u th -w e s te rn F ran c e ; *and'
Sw it z e r la n d ; b u t C a p ta in B a r re t t-H am ilto n s ta te s th a t it s a c tu a l ran g é is no t kn own
w ith ce rta inty. In F e b ru a ry , 19 0 5 I re ceived from M r . L ew is ' G a r r ow a y o f S c a llo w
a y tw o l iv in g specimen-- *_sf M. s. intermedins from W é s t S h e tlan d . A s th is
1 The synonym intermedins was given >Pf C J. Bellamy, who gives a woodcut' of the animal in his N atu ra l H istory of
South Devon, 1839, pp. 195, 3*9, 330. QipS*m Barren - Hamilton regards this sub-species as synonymous with M . catnfeslris
of Holandre (Fount de la Moselle 1836. c>. a4), but not Mydampestris of Desmarest, which was referable to the harvest
mouse, and AT. s. fp ssilis o f Gerrais (#w/. a Pul F r. 1859, p. 43). v ,
THE B RITISH YELLOW NECKED MOUSE. TH E BRITISH WOOD MOUSE.