146 THE RED FIELD VOLE 



little notice until, favoured by season and abundance of food, it 

 multiplies into a plague. The grazier suffers most from this animal, 

 the devastations to hill farmers on what is termed " bog " (strong 

 marshy land, either grazed or mown for hay) being ruinous in 

 some years ; and from these breeding grounds the voles pass to 

 young plantations, even nurseries and gardens, committing great 

 havoc. The means of repression are almost as bad as the destruc- 

 tion caused by the voles when it takes the form of burning the grass 

 and heather, for unless started from all points so as to enclose the 

 vermin in a ring of fire, they are merely driven to fresh ground, while 

 to burn all the roughness on a hill-farm is impracticable, as some 

 part must be kept to support the stock. Nevertheless, it is really 

 the soft bottom that encourages the voles, hence a periodical burn- 

 ing would be an advantage, thus keeping the bottom clear of useless 

 vegetation as well as the vermin. But this cannot be carried out 

 in woodland glades, hence recourse is had to trapping. The most 

 approved trap for voles is the Solid Ground Pitfall Trap (Fig. 94). 

 It is dug in solid ground in places frequented by the voles, about 

 15 in. deep, 4 to 6 in. wide at the mouth, and sloping under 

 the soil to a considerably wider bottom. Into this the voles fall, 

 and are unable to escape ; besides being exceedingly pugnacious, 

 they kill one another in their efforts to escape. Possibly the Rattin 

 that is employed in connection with rats and mice might afford 

 the much needed relief in such attacks as those associated with 

 Scotland in 1891 and 1892, for only on limited areas is pitfall 

 destruction of the pests feasible. 



For the RED FIELD or BANK- VOLE (Microtus or Arvicola glareolus) 

 that frequents meadows, rough pastures, woodland glades, borders 

 of woods and plantations, there is no trap so telling as the Mouse 

 or Small Bird Trap, baiting the table with a small piece of crust or 

 hard cheese, and even the field vole cannot resist the temptation 

 to nibble and strike the trap and be caught. A number of such 

 traps properly set and carefully attended to soon clear a given area 

 of either field or " grass " (bank) voles in woodlands, nurseries and 

 gardens. The traps are cheap (45. 6d. per dozen, 485. per gross, 

 with flat springs; and with bow springs, 6s. per dozen, 545. per gross). 

 Kept well oiled, and safeguarded by string and peg, last indefinitely, 

 no covering being required, only set tickle in the haunts or runs 

 of the voles. Of course, this involves trouble late and early, 

 but it is all-important for cultivators to safeguard their crops by 

 timely repressive measures and not rely on aid from stoats, weasels, 

 buzzards, owlets, crows, etc., which no game -preserver is likely 

 to conserve. 



A very old-fashioned trap for capturing mice and voles is the 

 Inverted Sunk Flower-pot Trap (Fig. 95), which is made as follows : 

 Take a large flower-pot, n or 12 in., and sink it inverted on a 

 slate (q) nearly level with the surface of the ground in places fre- 



