Vig Károly: Zoological Research in Western Hungary. A history (Szombathely, 2003)

Phylum Veriebrata 223 CLASS MAMMALIA (MAMMALS) Although no comprehensive treatment of the mammal fauna of the West Hungarian border region has yet appeared, a picture can be built up through partial fauna lists and studies made of various areas. The earliest references to mammals in the region concern the ravages of 'mice'. These probably refer to damage by common voles (Microtus arvalis). The quotations that follow have been taken from the work of ANTAL RÉTHLY (1962). Sopron, 1587: 'On the Wednesday before Ascension Day [i.e. April 29, New Style],

113 hail... quite battered the borders from Balf to Rákos, and what grapes were left on the vine, the mice gnawed off and bore away. The mice appeared in that year and they also did damage in 1590, and there were so many of them in the meadows, arable lands, fields and vineyards that it was impossible to work because of them. Eventually they dispersed in the direction of Kőszeg and Nagykanizsa' (FAUTH). Sopron, 1588: 'There were many mice in the fields; they were in groups and did much damage' (BRUCKNER). According to another report, 'The mice did much damage in the vineyards and cornfields this year' (PAYR). Sopron, 1616: 'It was a year prolific in mice; the uncountable multitude of mice caused great damage in the vineyards and arable lands, as did the starlings in the vineyards' (FAUTH). Sopron, 1694: 'In this year, there was an unusual multitude of mice' (CSÁNYI). It is worth saying a few words about the work done by Baron FERENC OCSKÓI OcsKAY on mammal fauna. In 1828, he thought he had discovered a new species, to which he gave the name Mus pratensis, and published a description of it.

114 The species had an eventful career, however, as JÁNOS FÖLDI had already described it as a 'gleaner shrew', which he named Sorex hungaricus.

115 Apart from the identity of these two descriptions, it emerged later that it was a Hungarian variant of the Mus minutus indigenous to Russia, so that it appears in some writings of the period as Micromys minutus pratensis.

116 GÉZA HORVÁTH established according to the rules of priority that the name should correctly be Micromys minutus hungaricus.

117 The name accepted today is Micromys minutus, so that all the other names can be taken as synonyms. About 1820, OCSKAY collected a specimen of a mole rat (Spalax sp.) in the Sopron district, so that he, along with PÁL 113 The Gregorian calendar was commonly introduced in Hungary in 1584, when January 12 Old Style became January 23 New Style. Adoption by law followed on October 10/21, 1587. 114 OCSKAY (de OCSKÓ), F. 1831. Mus pratensis nova. Acta nova Academiae Caesareae LeopoldinoCarolinae Naturae curiosorum 15:243 + Tab. lxxiii. 115 FÖLDI, J. 1801. Természeti história. A' Linné Systémája szerént. Első tsomó. Az állatok országa (Natural History. According to the Linnean system. First Volume. The Animal Kingdom). Pozsony [Bratislava]: Wéber Simon Péter. 116 MILLER, G.S. 1912. Catalogue of the Mammals of Western Europe (Europe exclusive of Russia) in the Collection of the British Museum. London. 117 HORVÁTH, G. 1915. A törpe egér magyarországi alakjának tudományos neve (The scientific name for the Hungarian form of harvest mouse). Állattani Közlemények 14:1-5.