MICE AND VOLES 331 



3. The Red Mouse. 



The red mouse is found mostly in the autumn, at thresh- 

 ing time, frequenting fields. They build their pretty little 

 nests in the grass, in the harvest-field, in hedgerows, and 

 in corn-stalks, but chiefly on the land. 



4. The Marsh-Mouse 



Is a very short, hairy-tailed, pretty little creature, that 

 seems to be born to feed kestrels, hawks, and weasels, for 

 these innocent creatures are the staple dish of those marsh- 

 rangers. The "mesh-mouse," as the outside men call him, 

 has a beautiful brown coat and whitish belly, his head and 

 tail being shaped like a water-vole's, his ears being rather 

 large for his size, but they are hidden somewhat in his fur. 



And should you wish to catch one to study, you had better 

 follow the marshman's custom and mow a " clear " as large as 

 your writing-table ; then go some yards to windward of the 

 " clear," and start mowing, going before the wind towards 

 the "clear." In this way you will frighten the marsh-mice 

 into the "clear," when you or your mate may catch them. 

 The marsh-mouse, which is the commonest of all the " mice " 

 in the marshland, is a vole, and vegetable feeder, eating lily 

 roots and grass. 



Their nests are found on marsh bottoms from the latter 

 part of March to October. These nests, made of fine soft 

 grass, are placed in depressions on the marsh, and have 

 round holes at the sides for doorways. And as they are 

 most numerous in June and July, the marsh-mowers turn 

 up hundreds of them. 



Marsh-mice can swim ; and as the water-vole swims 

 faster than a rat, so the marsh-vole swims faster than a 

 field-mouse. Pike and herons sometimes take them on 

 their journeys to and fro " athwart the deeks." 



