REPORT ON PLAGUE OF FIELD-VOLES IN SCOTLAND 141 



Your Committee deem it right to point out that the 

 popular opinion that the excessive multiplication of field- 

 voles is the direct result of the destruction of birds of prey, 

 stoats, and weasels, which has been admittedly great over 

 part of the affected area, does not appear generally to be the 

 outcome of personal accurate observation. 



Your Committee are of opinion that birds arid beasts 

 of prey, even had they been wholly unmolested, would not 

 have prevailed to avert the vole plague, though they would 

 probably have greatly mitigated its severity ; and they are 

 confirmed in this view by the circumstances attending similar 

 outbreaks in this country in the sixteenth and seventeenth 

 centuries, and in foreign countries of late years. Neither in 

 Essex previous to the outbreak reported by Holinshed, nor in 

 South America previous to the outbreak described by Mr. 

 Hudson in TJie Naturalist in La Plata, nor in Thessaly 

 previous to that prevalent there in 1891-92, was there any 

 check placed by man upon the multiplication of the natural 

 enemies of these rodents. 



In reply to the question (inter alia] whether " birds of 

 prey and other rapacious animals have assisted to any 

 material extent in the destruction of the voles (in Thessaly) ? " 

 Her Majesty's Minister at Athens transmitted the following 

 reply : " Birds of prey and other rapacious animals would 

 never suffice to prevent the alarming multiplication of the 

 voles under favourable climatic conditions." 



This view has been amply confirmed by the observations 

 of the chairman and secretary of your Committee during 

 their recent visit to the infested plains of Thessaly. Birds 

 of prey eagles, buzzards, kites, kestrels, and other hawks- 

 are exceedingly abundant there, and no one thinks of 

 molesting them. Indeed, the Turks (of whom there are 

 about 30,000 in the province) are exceedingly kind to wild 

 animals, and object to their being destroyed. In 1866, when 

 that country last suffered from a visitation of field -voles, 

 Thessaly was under Turkish dominion, and birds of prey 

 were protected. The change from Turkish to Greek rule 

 which took place in 1881 made no difference in this respect, 

 yet in favourable seasons the voles multiply in spite of the 

 presence of a very full stock of their natural enemies. 



