WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



until the middle of the summer, so the mice 

 have quite a good time, and even in the winter 

 there is a good deal of rough herbage to shelter 

 them. By the way, voles are not quite so 

 active in the cold weather as in the warm ; 

 they do not go into a winter sleep, they never 

 hibernate, but have to come out and look for 

 food whatever the weather. To go back to 

 the voles in the narcissi bank though these 

 mice often get the credit for eating bulbs, 

 this colony have never made the least difference 

 to the daffodils. I have found that what they 

 really like is crocus bulbs, but that no variety 

 of daffodils appeals to them at all. I have 

 also tried tame ones with snowdrops, but they 

 would not touch them. They would hardly 

 touch anything but green foods, grass being 

 their chief diet, varied by lettuce, of which 

 they were very fond, and dandelion leaves, 

 which they liked nearly as well. They would 

 also eat the growing blades of wheat, barley, 

 and oats, but the grain itself they did not seem 

 to think much of. Clover they liked, also 

 water cress, and they were fond of dock seeds. 

 Fruit, especially apples, was much appreciated, 

 strawberries and gooseberries being by no 

 means despised, but my voles had evidently 

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