THE GERBILLE 



needs no natural check to its increase, therefore the 

 Gerbilles, by devouring it, are helping the Sand 

 Demon, which seeks to convert these arid v^astes 

 into real deserts of moving sand. It is not only 

 the vegetation of the drier parts of the country 

 which is attacked. The Gerbilles invade culti- 

 vated fields and pasturage, and the harm done by 

 them is great. They are especially destructive to 

 plantations. The young trees are seriously 

 damaged or totally destroyed by their habit of 

 gnawing the bark from the stems. 



The Gerbilles, as a general rule, lie concealed 

 deep down in their burrows by day, and conse- 

 quently the farmer is handicapped in his war 

 against them. In fact, owing to their secretive 

 and nocturnal habits, the farmer is invariably 

 quite unaware of their existence, and thinks the 

 damage is done by ordinary rats and mice. Here, 

 again, our bird and animal allies help us in the 

 most practical of ways. In return for their services 

 we persecute them and often encourage our children 

 and servants to do likewise ; yes, we wilfully turn 

 upon and murder those who are unselfishly serving 

 us all the time. When an animal or bird takes a 

 little payment in the form of a few chickens, or a 

 little grain in return for the most valuable of ser- 

 vices, both it and all its tribe are outlawed and 

 shot at sight. Such is the inconsistency of man. 



When a colony of Gerbilles have eaten up all 

 the edible vegetation in their vicinity, they migrate 



87 



