614 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



descend below the surface of the water, and will often crawl sev- 

 eral inches in depth. This feat it does not perform by diving, 

 as is the case with the water spider, but by means of the aquatic 

 plants, down whose stems it crawls. Its capability of existing for 

 some time beneath the surface of the water is often the means of 

 saving its life ; for, when it sees an enemy approaching, it quietly 

 slips under the raft, and there lies in perfect security until the 

 danger has passed away. 



There is, living in the same localities, a closely-allied species, 

 the Pirate Spider (Lycosa piratica), which has similar habits, 

 chasing its prey on the water, and descending as well below the 

 surface. It does not, however, possess the power of making a raft. 



In a previous chapter of this work, the beautiful pensile nest 

 of the Harvest - mouse has been described and figured, and the 

 burrows of other species of mouse have been cursorily mentioned. 

 I shall now proceed to describe the nests of the common Field 

 Mice, together with the habitation of the little brown-coated, long- 

 tailed, sharp-nosed rodent that is so familiar in houses unguarded 

 by cats or traps. 



We will first take the nest of the Short-tailed Field-mouse, 

 otherwise termed Campagnol, or Field Vole (Arvicola arvensis). 

 This pretty little creature, whose red back, gray belly, short ears, 

 and blunt nose might be seen daily if human eyes were more 

 accustomed to observation, is extremely plentiful in the fields, 

 especially those of a low - lying and marshy character, such as 

 water meadows and hay-fields near rivers. 



Though more nocturnal than diurnal in their habits, the little 

 creatures are not afraid of daylight, and I have often captured 

 them when the sun was at its meridian height. But they are so 

 smooth and easy in their movements, harmonize so well with the 

 color of the soil, and glide so deftly between the grass, that they 

 can scarcely be distinguished even when the blades are only a 

 few inches in length. I have known them to traverse the ground 

 while a game of cricket was proceeding, and to cross the closely- 

 mown space between the wickets as if serenely conscious of their 

 invisibility. 



They seem to glide rather than to walk, and thread their way 

 silently and without noise. Even when the grass is short, a little 

 patch of reddish earth attracts no attention, and the red-brown fur 

 of the mouse is so similar to such earth that few would notice it. 



