SMALL DEER-OUR RODENTS J 4 r 
his provender and swim with it in his mouth towards 
his burrow. I have quietly drawn back at times, lest 
he should be startled and let go his mouthful, for I 
admire the industrious little chap ; and one of the 
prettiest sights I have ever seen was his cutting the 
seed-vessel of a water-lily from its stem, and sitting 
on one of the broad leaves to eat it, holding it in his 
forefeet in the same manner as a squirrel would. 
Just above in the stream was a good dace swim, so 
that the current, as it ran into the lily pond, swayed 
the leaves ; in fact, the leaf our vole rested on was 
gently moved first on one side and then on the other, 
to the full stretch of its pliant leaf stem. It was a 
small but very beautiful little picture ; and one which 
I hope some day to place on canvas ; the warm 
brown fur was brought out well by the waxen green 
of the leaf he sat on, which showed its dull crimson 
side as it was moved by the current from below. A 
few flower buds not yet opened, with their leaves, and 
just a peep of a bend in the river, made the thing 
perfect in its way. 
I know a pool, having a sweep of flags and rushes 
at one end of it, which is a favourite haunt of our little 
friend ; fine oaks line both sides of this long, deep 
home of the pike. When the youngsters are able to 
get about, it is most amusing to see how closely they 
