HARE — FIELD-MICE 



213 



well, but is a bad climber, and is easily discoverable owing to the numerous narrow 



paths or " runs " in the grass leading to the nest. An expert in tunnelling its 



galleries beneath the ground, in winter it burrows under the snow. Its store is 



seldom without provisions either in summer or winter, and, as a rule, is well filled 



with grain, seeds, nuts, roots of plants, ears of corn, and even the bark and buds of 



young trees. In its softly lined nest, which is placed just beneath the surface 



of the ground, or sheltered by thick grasses on the ground itself, this field-mouse 



brings forth from four to eight 



young in the month of April, 



which have from four to six 



batches of brothers and sisters 



in the course of the summer. 



Under favourable circumstances 



the increase of these field-mice 



is so enormous, that they cause 



great injury to fields and forests. 



So long as they can obtain seeds 



they will feed only on them, but 



THE HARVEST-MOUSE. 



/ 



even then the damage they 

 do is great. When the corn 

 begins to ripen they attack 

 the fields in hundreds, biting 

 through the stalks at the base 

 till they fall over, then gnaw- 

 ing them through above and 

 dragging the ears into their burrows. Often they follow the reapers from one 

 crop to another devouring the corn that has dropped among the stubble, gathering 

 the ears which have fallen in binding up the sheaves, and finding their way to 

 the stackyard to carry off enough to supply themselves during the winter. 

 The harvest over a wide area has been destroyed by their hordes, and extensive 

 plantations of beech-trees have died in consequence of their biting off the buds. 

 The species, indeed, often appears in such numbers that the fields are practically 

 riddled by their subterranean retreats, and even in the daytime the tiny rodents 

 may be seen scuttling in fours or sixes to the same hole. Buzzards usually 

 herald the arrival of these pests, and are much more successful in destroying 



