WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



the wings and bodies of the murdered bees. 

 It was a pitiable sight, and, though I am not 

 particularly fond of bees (I do not consider 

 them very good-mannered when I am passing !), 

 I felt really grieved to see such destruction. 

 As to what the owner of the bees said, well, I 

 think, over that we had better draw the curtain. 



Long-tailed mice usually have big families, 

 and I have found five, six, and seven young ones 

 at a time in their nests. Like all mice the babies 

 are born blind, helpless, and naked, but the pink 

 mites grow quickly, and in a very short time 

 have a coat and are able to see and get about. 

 As soon as the members of one family are able 

 to look after themselves the mother turns her 

 attention to another, and litter succeeds litter 

 throughout the summer, so that in a warm 

 dry season when all the babies are reared it 

 takes but little to start a mouse and vole plague. 

 A ' vole plague ' only happens when the weather 

 is suitable, and the natural enemies of the mice, 

 such as owls, hawks, stoats, and weasels, are 

 too scarce to keep the mice down. Then all 

 mice increase and flourish until they eat every- 

 thing in the countryside, but as a rule such 

 a plague is followed by mice diseases which 

 sweep them away again. 



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