THE WATER-VOLE 227 



bank. Finally the eel if it be large number of young is five or six to a 

 enough will attack and kill young litter. The young are carried by the 

 or weakling voles. mother, after the fashion of a cat carry- 

 By day as well as by night, when ing kittens, should it be needful to 

 out of the water, the water-vole must move them before they can swim. In 

 keep a sharp look-out if it would live, this way the female has been known 

 Most birds of prey seem partial to the to shift her young, before the advent 

 flesh of this rodent. Kestrels com- of a flood, from one nursery to another 

 monly prey upon it, and may frequently situated at a greater elevation and 

 be seen hovering in their peculiar perhaps in the opposite bank of the 

 <( waiting " poise over their burrows, stream. When able to swim, which 

 ready to drop like a stone should one they learn to do at a very early age, 

 venture forth. Even the great eagle the young follow both parents in the 

 itself feeds upon it. So also do buz- water ; and a family swimming thus 

 zards and harriers. The only hen- in company forms a very pleasing 

 harrier I ever saw in this country had picture. 



just caught a water-vole. In conclusion, I feel I should not 



I think, also, that our old enemy the be a conscientious naturalist were I 



grey crow will snap up a water-vole to close this article without asking 



if he gets a chance especially if he those who hunt the rat to discriminate 



should happen upon a young one. Be between the brown rat and the water- 



this as it may, I always notice that vole, or so-called water-rat. The harm 



water-voles at once make themselves which water-voles do upon waters 



scarce when a grey or carrion crow even those preserved for fishing is, 



appears upon the scene. at the most, extremely small, if not 



The young of this species are born nil. Therefore rat-hunters may well 



in April or early in May. The nursery be urged to spare this harmless and 



is a neat, small chamber, resembling, interesting little mammal, without which 



as before said, a rabbit's " stop," and the scenery of our picturesque English 



lined with dry grass, etc. The usual streams would be incomplete. 



