SMALL DEER OUR RODENTS 
The meadow-vole resembles the field-vole in form, 
but it is smaller. There is as much difference 
between the two as there is between a half-grown rat 
and one that has reached its full size. With the 
dormouse, or, as our rustics call it, the sleep-mouse, my 
sketches of small deer must close. Dormice are not 
nearly so numerous as they were. I have not seen 
one this year, although I have done a lot of hedge- 
poking. The town market absorbs them, I fear, for 
in the country they are now very uncommon. No 
sleep-mice, in fact, can I hear of, although I have 
asked about them all round. Folks tell me they see 
none about where there used to be plenty ; and some 
small birds are disappearing also. I believe many 
creatures that we can ill spare are sent out of the 
country, and we shall find out the folly of this pre- 
sently. The natural course of events has, of course, 
done much to banish some for ever ; the felling of 
large woods, and draining, for instance. But there 
ought to be a fine on the shooting of owls ; also all 
the members of the weasel family, as I have said 
before, should be kept here and not sent to the 
colonies. Then things might improve somewhat, for, 
although only small deer, our rodents are capable of 
much mischief if not kept under. 
