ENCLOSED are the stones of a wild cherry which have been eaten into for the kernels by a very small animal. The teeth marks are clearly visible. Note how evenly the holes are made and always across the split lines. Are they a harvest, wood or field mouse? I have found caches of these all around the garden.
Bob Newell, Bray, Co Wicklow
The harvest mouse is not found in Ireland, and the wood mouse is just another name for the field mouse, which is the name commonly used in this country. The cherry stones were eaten by a field mouse. You will find a picture of a cherry stone eaten by a fieldwood mouse, which is identical to yours, in Collins Guide to Animal Tracks and Signs.
