THE WATER EAT, OR WATER VOLE. 153 



kept at Fort M'Leod. By degrees it became blind, 

 but if allowed access to the water, it always used to 

 bathe its eyes, and in a short while recovered and 

 maintained its sight as long as it could wet its face. 



THE WATER RAT, OR WATER VOLE (ArVlCold AmphillUs). 



Although, as has just been stated, the beaver has 

 long been extinct in England, we still retain some of 

 its relatives, one of which shares with it the power of 

 trespassing upon the water. This is the well-known 

 Water Eat, as it is popularly called, or the Water Yole, 

 as it is more rightly named. At first sight, and as it 

 is seen running along the banks of the stream, it cer- 

 tainly has a very rat-like appearance. 



But if a common rat and a water vole be placed 

 side by side, they will at once be seen to be two 

 entirely distinct animals. The former has a long and 

 sharp nose, capacious ears, and a very long tail ; 

 whereas the latter has a short head, with a blunt, 

 rounded muzzle, short ears, and a tail quite insignificant 

 when compared with that of the land rat. The fur, 

 too, is of a different texture, as can be seen by com- 

 paring them under the microscope. 



Like the beaver, the Water Vole does not flourish 

 when away from its favourite element, to which it 

 always retreats when in danger. The land rat can 

 swim and even dive, as I have witnessed in a case 

 where a barn rat was driven into a pond by dogs, and 

 very nearly escaped by diving. It could not, however, 

 remain below the water for any length of time, and 

 was so exhausted for want of breath when it came to 



