THE WOODLAND VOLE 93 



habits are not so well known as the typical meadow mice. The 

 woodland vole naturally inhabits wooded areas and brush land and 

 the nearby edg^es of upland fields. It spend'- most of its lii'e in 

 underground burrows built much after the fashion of those of the 

 mole ; and indeed they are sometimes mistaken for the burrows of 

 that animal, although the internal diameter of the mole's burrow 

 is gi'eater. Loose, moist, and more or less sandy soil is preferred 

 by this vole in which to construct its complicated series of burrovv's 

 and tunnels. Nesting places are constructed both in the burrows 

 and on the surface of the ground in sheltered places such as brush 

 piles, fallen timbers, flat stones, and fences. 



By means of these runways under the surface of the ground the 

 voles invade orchards, nurseries, fields and ga^'dens : and since the 

 animals remain so much concealed, any injury that may have been 

 done is not evident for some time. 



In discussing the pine mouse {M. p. scalopsoides) , a form closely 

 allied to the woodland vole, Lantz says: "The number of young 

 at a birth evidently averages less than is usual in the genus Mirro- 

 tus, as is shown by the small number of mammae. Observations as 

 to the number of litters in a season seem to be lacking, but the 

 rate of reproduction is probably less in the pine mice than in any 

 other American group of field mice. Blasius says concerning M. 

 suhterraueus of Europe, that 'it produces five or six times a year 

 three to five young, which are blind for ten days after birth;' and 

 this statement is probably true, with slight modifications, for all 

 tlie species of the group. To compensate for slower multiplication, 

 their liability to attack by natural enemies is much less, owing to 

 their underground existence; so that within their range pine mice 

 are about as abundant as other field mice. "'^- 



The food cf the woodland vole consists principally of the roots 

 of both cultivated and uncultivated plants and trees. Potatoes, 

 sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, parsnips, and other garden vegetables, 

 whether growing, stored in pits, or piled up in the fields are eaten 

 by pine mice. Such damage is often attributed to moles, because of 

 the tunnels which lead to the point of damage. However, though 

 moles may cut off the roots of growing plants in their tunneling 

 operations, they seldom eat the roots for they feed principally upon 

 insects, earthworms, and other animal food. 



"Lantz. D. E., An Economic Study of Field Mice: U. ?. Dept. Agr., Biol. 

 Surv. Bull. No. 31, 20-21, 1907. 



