WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



held in the mouth, and, the vole having sat up 

 on its hind legs, then transferred it to the 

 hand-like fore paws, when it was a matter of 

 nibble, nibble, nibble, until the grass had gone. 

 I never saw one of these voles eat in any other 

 attitude, and the way they did it always made 

 me think of a person eating celery. They 

 were just as particular about the care of their 

 fur as the more dainty-looking, long-tailed 

 field mice, washing themselves frequently, and 

 always after being startled. They would sit 

 up on their hind legs, and licking their ' hands ' 

 pass them quickly over head and ears, then 

 turn to their body, and dress every scrap of fur. 

 They might not be so sleek and smooth-look- 

 ing as the mice just mentioned, but still they 

 were very dainty fascinating small creatures. 

 They got quite tame, and took no notice what- 

 ever of things which moved on their own level. 

 For instance, if I tapped on the glass side of the 

 cage, any vole that was out eating would 

 barely trouble to turn its head to see what the 

 noise was, yet if so much as a shadow moved 

 overhead, that same mouse would be gone in a 

 flash. It was evident that they regarded the 

 worst dangers as coming from above. Time 

 after time I tested them, and it was always 

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