1 88 The Mammals of Great Britain and Ireland
In England M. s. wintoni seems to be very generally but locally distributed,
and is common in the southern and western counties. It has not been observe
north of Northumberland. It has been noticed as occurring in the following
lu n tie s: Middles^,' Surrey, Sussex, Kent, Northamptonshire, Worcester, Herefordshire,
Suffolk, and Northumberland.
Mr. de Winton thinks that this sub-species does not interbreed with M. s.
The following table of measurements in millimetres is taken from Captain
G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton’s paper on ‘ Mus sylvaticus and its allies :
Mus sylvaticus intermedins. (Averages of from 30 to 60 specimens.)
Extreme Length
Head and Body Tail Hind Foot Ear of Skull
1' Maximum I I I mm. 103 :mm. 24'5 mm. I7‘5 mm.
Males -| Mean 92-6 mm. 88-2 :mm. 2 2'6 mm. 25‘4 mm.
1L Minimum 83 mm. 67 mm. 20 mm. 14 mm. 26 mm.
( Maximum n o mm. 98 mm. 24 mm. I7’5 mm.
Females - Mean 92 mm. 84*5 mm. 22‘5 mm. 16 mm.
{ Minimum 78 mm. 70 mm. 20 mm. 14 mm.
Mus sylvaticus celticus. (2 males and 4 females.)
Maximum 90 mm. 84 mm. 25 mm. 1 5 mm.
Mean 85*3 mm. 8o-8 mm. 2 2'3 mm. 14-6 mm. 25 mm.
Minimum 80 mm. 75 ' mm. 20 mm. B mm.
Mus sylvaticus hebridensis. (3 males and 1 female.)
Maximum 1 12 mm. 100 mm. 25 mm. 16 mm.
Mean 108 mm. 97’5 mm. 24-25mm. 1575mm. 27 mm.
Minimum 106 mm. 95 mm. 23-5 mm. 1 5 mm.
Mus sylvaticus hirtensis.
Male 107 mm. 9 1 mm. 24*5 mm. 17 mm. Female no mm. 29 mm. 94 mm. 24 mm. 1 5 mm.
Mus sylvaticus wintoni. (3 males and i female.)
Maximum 108 mm. 108 mm. 23 mm. 18 mm.
Mean 11075mm. 11175mm. 2375mm. 18 mm. 29 mm.
Minimum 1 1 5 mm. 112 mm. 24 mm. 18 mm.
1 Mr. de Winton tells me he has seen it on the flower-borders in the Zoological Society’s Gardens at Regent’s Park.
Mus sylvaticus may be, in all its forms, generally recognised or distinguished
from Mus musculus, apart from its coloration, by its longer tail—as long as the
head and body as a rul'e-^—its large white hind feet, its longer ears—more than
half the length of the head—and its remarkably prominent eyes. The skull
shows several marked differences, which can be most readily appreciated by comparing
the plates. There are but six mammae, whereas in musculus there are
ten.
The general distribution of Mus sylvaticus in all its forms embraces the whole
of Europe except the extreme north, temperate and Central Asia as far north as
Lake Baikal, Asia Minor, Palestine and North Africa, the Balearics and Iceland.
It does not seem to have reached Japan.
In the Norfolk Forest-bed remains of Mus sylvaticus have been found, showing
that it has been an inhabitant of England since early Pleistocene days.
Habits.-—The habits of all our sub-species of Wood Mouse seem to be similar,
so that in describing them there is no use in particularising localities, although
it is scarcely necessary to say that in the Hebrides or Shetlands they do not climb
trees. The Wood Mouse frequents our woodlands and hedgerows, and even the
coarse marram grass of the sea beaches, as well as the desolate peat hags of the
storm-swept Hebrides and Shetlands. I have found it in residence on some lonely
hills in Sutherland, and have seen it playing in the flower-beds of Regent’s Park
amongst the busy haunts of men. In fact it is everywhere, and far exceeds in
actual numbers, not even excepting man, any other British mammal. I have even
seen one in a house,1 but never in a corn-stack, which is curious, considering its
omnivorous tastes.
This Mouse is more strictly nocturnal than the harvest mouse, and this fact
is indicated by the large and very prominent eyes. I have often seen them abroad
in winter, when shooting in the woods ; and one sometimes comes across the little
fellows sitting up in hedge-banks washing their faces. On these occasions they
are sometimes exceedingly tame, and will permit close approach. Thus Mr.
Lionel Adams writes:
‘ I remember many years ago coming upon a Long-tailed Field Mouse in a lane
at Maidenhead. It was sitting up washing its face with its paws. I approached
1 Thompson records an instance of a Wood Mouse being found in an inhabited house near Belfast, and in the
neighbourhood of St. Petersburg there is a form of Mus sylvaticus which was named Mus ccllarius by J. F. Fischer on
account of its. habit of haunting cellars. On two different occasions Mr. Coward has received examples which were
captured in the bedrooms (first story) of a dwelling-house. No doubt they had climbed up by the ivy which covered the
front of the house.