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white feet and paws, the tail slightly longer 

 than in the field vole and well clothed with hair, 

 forming a tuft at the end. This vole was first 

 described as a Scottish species by MacGillivray, 

 and it is usually assumed that it had previously 

 been confused with the common vole. It is, 

 however, well to remember that it is quite 

 possible that the discovery of a new species in a 

 given district may be owing to the fact that it 

 has only recently reached that locality ; and that 

 former observers may very well have omitted 

 it, for the simple reason that it was not then 

 present there. The red vole resembles the field 

 vole in its food and habits. Bell 1 relates that 

 he has known one of this species to kill and eat 

 a shrew ; it is a good climber, and has been 

 accused of robbing small birds' nests of young 

 or eggs ; indeed it may be said to be decidedly 

 omnivorous in its tastes. This animal was a 

 first record for Argyll, having been identified in 

 1 904, and in some localities at least appears to be 

 the predominant species in that area. Another 

 British member of the vole family, the water 

 vole, A. amphibius, often incorrectly termed 

 the water rat, is common in the same district, 

 although not in the very restricted area under 

 consideration, and therefore unrepresented. The 



1 British Quadrupeds. 



