THE WATER-VOLE. 21 



rather silky. The colour of the longer hairs is dark 

 brown, or a mixture of brownish-black and reddish- 

 brown underneath. The belly and lower parts of the 

 animal, as well as the sides of the head, are lighter in 

 colour. Those parts of the hairs which are usually 

 not visible, are of a bluish-black or bluish-gray ; the 

 tips of the shorter hairs are throughout of a reddish- 

 brown. The teeth are brownish-yellow, the nose is 

 dusky, the soles of the feet pale flesh-colour, and the 

 claws yellowish : 



Length of male 12 in. ; of female 12 in. lolin. 



Of head ,, i in. lolin. i 10 



Ofheadandbody 8 o ,,86 



Of tail 40 3 9 



Of fore-foot 09 ,,09 



Of hind-foot 13 ,,13 



The Water-vole is common in Britain, but it is not 



found in some parts of the North of Scotland. It 



lives in the banks of rivers, small streams, canals, or 



ponds. It scoops out long, crooked burrows for itself, 



and frequently forms a passage under the water, so 



that when it is swimming, and is in danger from an 



enemy, it can get to its hole without coming to the 



surface of the water, as it is an excellent diver. It 



lives on vegetables, and usually feeds in the morning 



and evening. It deposits a store of provisions for the 



\vinter,sometimes hoarding potatoes ; it is not,however, 



torpid during the cold season, though it remains in its 



hole in time of snow. It makes a nest of dried grass 



or vegetable remains, where it deposits five or six 



young in the beginning of summer. This rat does 



not frequent human habitations, and is not generally 



destructive, unless its burrows can be said to spoil the 



