DISAPPEARANCE OF SHORT-TAILED FIELD VOLE 195 



III. ESKDALEMUIR AND LiDDESDALE. i. Castle O'er and Crurie. 

 -This estate is divided by a river. The plague began in one 



division in February 1891, and was at its worst in the Summer of 

 1891. A decrease was observed in Spring 1892, at first gradual, at 

 last rapid, ending in the disappearance of the vole in May of that 

 year. As regards the other division of the property, the plague 

 was at its worst in the Summer of 1892. It began to decline in 

 the Autumn of 1892, and ended, rapidly at the close, in November 

 of that year. 2. Fingland. Began 1890. Worst between November 

 1891 and May 1892. Disappeared gradually between July 1892 

 and last February. 3. Whitrope, Liddesdale. Began Spring of 1892, 

 but never so bad as in Teviotdale. At worst December 1892 and 

 January last. Gradual disappearance between January and May. 



IV. YARROW. i. Sundhope. Began in 1891. At its worst 

 Spring and Summer of 1892. Gradual decline after August 1892. 

 Clear in May last. 2. District Generally. Mr. Martin, head keeper 

 at Bowhill to the Duke of Buccleuch, who is proprietor of much of 

 the infested area in Ettrick and Yarrow, states that the vole appeared 

 as a plague in Ettrick, and disappeared there earlier than in Yarrow. 

 In Ettrick the ground was, as a rule, clear by the end of April. In 

 Yarrow the disappearance occurred about May and June. Mr. 

 Martin further states that voles were not so plentiful in Yarrow as 

 in Ettrick. 



V. MOFFAT DISTRICT. i. Rivox. - Began Summer of 1890. 

 At worst Spring and Summer of 1892. Disappeared between Sep- 

 tember 1892 and last May. 2. Middlegill. Began 1890. At worst 

 Spring and Summer 1892. Disappeared gradually between Nov- 

 ember 1892 and last March. 



VI. GALLOWAY. i. Barlae, Lorg, and Altry. Began 1891. 

 Worst Autumn of 1891 and Spring and early Summer of 1892. 

 Disappeared rather rapidly between last February and April. 

 2. District from Moffatdale westward to Carsphairn. Mr. Robert 

 Service informs us that the plague was at its worst from the Autumn 

 of 1891 till about May 1892, when a decline was noticed which 

 became rapid towards its close in the early part of the present year. 

 At present, the vole is down to its normal numbers, or less. 



With the view of arriving at a reasonable conclusion as 

 to the causes of the disappearance, it is necessary to advert 

 to the fact that the animal was, as a rule, first observed in 

 numbers among the luxuriant growth of grasses which in 

 the districts infested covers the " bog " land and the better 

 quality of soil in the flats and on the hillsides. There, the 

 necessary conditions of food and shelter existed, and the 



