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several times, and we cull the following particulars from the 

 Government Report on the most recent of these. The first on 

 record took place in the year 1580, in the hundred of Danesey, 

 in Essex, when it is stated that the roots of all the pasture-grass 

 were destroyed by these pests. The second occurred during 

 the years 18 13 and 18 14, and extended over the Forest of 

 Dean, in Gloucestershire, and the New Forest, in Hampshire. 

 An account of this plague has been furnished by Lord Glen- 

 bervie, from which it appears that about 98 per cent, of the 

 Rodents composing the horde belonged to the present species, 

 while the remaining 2 per cent, were Wood-Mice. Upwards 

 of 30,000 Voles were destroyed by various means in the Forest 

 of Dean, and 11,500 in the New Forest.* In 1874 and 1875 a 

 similar plague made its appearance in Wensleydale, and lasted 

 till about 1876, during which time the Field-Voles appeared in 

 such numbers in the pasture-farms of the hill-districts of the 

 borders of England and Scotland, and parts of Yorkshire and 

 Wensleydale, as to destroy the grazing-ground. Reporting on 

 this irruption. Sir Walter Elliot writes that " the district most 

 seriously affected consists of a cluster of farms at the head of 

 Borthwick Water, which falls into theTeviot, three miles above 

 Hawick. The centre of the group is Howpasley, which, with 

 Craikhope, Wolfcleughhead, and part of Craik, all in the parish 

 of Roberton, belong to the Duke of Buccleuch ; adjoining them 

 are Ramsay-cleughhead and Hislop, in the parish of Teviot- 

 head, and the estate of Tushielaw. Beyond them is Lang- 

 shawburn; which was too close to escape such dangerous 

 neighbours, as were other farms in Eskdalemuir parish ; while 



* Mr. W. E. de Winton writes to me: — "The Voles in the above-men- 

 tioned plagues have, I think, been proved to be the ' Bank ' Voles. This 

 animal is the only Vole which frequents woods, and its principal food, at 

 all seasons, consists of seeds, bark, and shoots, and it is this species which 

 does the damage in the woods. I have opened the bodies of many, and 

 have invariably found the stomach filled with a yellow substance like pease- 

 pudding, while the stomach of the Field- Vole contains chewed grass." 



