THE ARVICOLA AGRESTIS. 321 



your hand than it seems to become paralysed through sheer excess 

 of terror, and you may handle it for a time and turn it about in 

 all directions as if it were a stuffed specimen, without its once 

 offering to escape or defend itself in any way. If, however, you 

 let it slip from your hand to the ground, it is at once off and away, 

 and, search for it as you may, you are never likely to see it again. 

 For its size the Arvicola agrestis is a very powerful little animal, 

 particularly strong in the neck, shoulder, and fore-arm, a pro- 

 vision whereby it is enabled to dig and burrow its way under- 

 ground when necessary, with all the ease and rapidity almost of the 

 mole itself. It is very fond of water, which it drinks often 

 and greedily, and hence it is that it is never found at any great 

 distance from a plentiful supply of its favourite beverage. One 

 that a lady friend of ours kept for some months in a cage, 

 drank, more or less, she assures us, during every half-hour of the 

 day, and if its supply at any time happened to fail by any neglect 

 or oversight of its mistress, the thirsty little toper squeaked 

 querulously and nibbled angrily at the bars and wood-work of its 

 cage until its water-dish was replenished. When it had drank 

 enough, it frequently stepped into the dish, and frisked about in 

 such a manner as to wet its breast and lower parts of its body 

 thoroughly, when it would retire to a corner of its cage in which 

 was a little raised platform, and, sitting up on its quarters, squirrel- 

 wise, rub and cleanse its head and face with both paws in a 

 very comical manner. It was fed on succulent grasses and lettuce 

 leaves and endive from the garden, of which latter it was very 

 fond. It also ate bread steeped in milk, and apples, both raw and 

 boiled. It finally met the fate of most cage pets ; the cat got at 

 it and killed it. We have only heard of one instance in which the 

 AiTficola became so numerous in the West Highlands as to become 

 a pest that was only got rid of with great trouble and no little 

 expense. This was on the estate of Ardgour, in our own parish. 



x 



