BRITISH ARVICOL^E, OR VOLES. 101 



nine inches wide, so that when the animals fell 

 into them they were unable to escape. More than 

 40,000 field-voles were taken in those holes in the 

 space of three months, irrespective of those that 

 were taken out of the holes by the stoats, weasels, 

 crows, and magpies that had assembled in great 

 numbers to assist in extirpating the little marauders. 

 I have kept both these species and the bank- vole in 

 confinement, and found that they rapidly became 

 tame, allowing themselves to be freely handled, and 

 would frequently take grains of corn from my 

 fingers, though they would resent any liberty from 

 a stranger with a tolerably severe bite. They are 

 perfectly devoid of any unpleasant smell, and make 

 interesting little pets. 



THE BANK-VOLE. 



The third species is the above-mentioned bank- 

 vole. This species is rather smaller than the field- 

 vole, and differs from that animal in having the 

 tail rather longer, and the fur of a bright reddish- 

 brown above, shading into yellowish white beneath. 

 It frequents drier situations than the other species, 

 being found principally in the banks of old hedge- 

 rows and among heaps of stones. It is a very 

 active little animal, and moves with great agility. 

 Its habits are identical with those of the last- 

 mentioned species. 



