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Show 1900.] MUS SYLVATICUS AND ITS ALLIES. 391 remote date than that between the British Islands and the Continent, and, moreover, we do not know whether this Mouse occurs on the Faroes or not. Its occurrence in these intermediate localities would afford support to the presumption that it is native in Iceland; but I am indebted to Col. H . W . Feilden for the information that the existence of an indigenous mammal of any kind on the Faroes is very unlikely, since they have undergone an intense, although local, glaciation at a period long subsequent to their present condition as islands. At all events, 3Ius sylvaticus is perhaps the species par excellence of all others inhabiting the Palaearctic Begion which we should most expect to find in such an out-of-the-way island as Iceland. Material examined.-The following is a summary of the material which I have been able to examine. Not only have I had before me the specimens included in my own collection, but the whole of those now in the British Museum have been generously placed at my disposal by the authorities. In addition to these Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Junior, Assistant Curator of Mammals at the United S'ates National Museum, Washingtou, D.C, has most kindly sent over for my examination 66 examples from the collection in that museum. I have thus had before me a series of, in all, about 580 specimens, many of them prepared in the best modern methods and having also attached to them carefully cleaned skulls. From England and Wales I have seen 171 specimens1: from Bedfordshire 2, Cambridgeshire 3, Carmarthenshire 6, Cheshire 9, Dorset 1, Glamorganshire 11, Gloucestershire 6, Herefordshire 33, Hertfordshire 3, Isle of Wight 8, Kent 4, Leicestershire 13, Lincolnshire 2, London District 13, Merionethshire 5, the New Forest 5, Northants 2, Northumberland 6, Oxfordshire 18, Staffordshire 3, Suffolk 4, Surrey 5, Sussex 5, Warwickshire 2, Worcestershire 1, Vorkshire 1. Turning to Scotland and its Islands, I have seen 56 specimens: from Cromarty 11, Edinburgh 2, Elgin 17, Haddingtonshire 2, Lanarkshire 1, and Skye 1; while Mr. Bobert Henderson of Dunrossness, Shetland, has sent me 8 obtained there; and Mr. W . E. de Winton has kindly placed at m y disposal his fine series of 14 from the Islands of Lewis and Barra. From Ireland I have had before me about 45 specimens : from Carlow 7, Clare 2, Gal way 4, Kerry 6, Tipperary 3, and Wexford several; and have also, through the kindness of my friend Dr. B. F. Scharff, been permitted to examine those in the Dublin Museum of Science and Art, among which are included 1 For these the British Museum and myself are indebted to a numerous band of collectors, of whom I may mention Messrs. O. V. Aplin, A. S. Austen, E. W . H. Blagg, J. L. Bonhote, G. H. Oaton Haigh, T. A. Coward, R. J. Cuningbame, G. Denoon, W . Dodson, J. S. Elliott, W . Evans, C. H. B. Grant, S F. Harmer, F. W . Headley, the late Lord Lilford, Messrs. J. 0. Mansel- Pleydell, W . R. Ogilvie Grant, Oldfield Thomas, Miss D. Sharpe, Mr. W. Taylor, Col. J. W . Yerbury, while, last but not least, my friend Mr. W . E. de Winton has placed his whole collection from various localities at my entire disposal. 1 26* |
