352 THE WATER VOLE. 



intermediate in size to the black and common brown rat ; its 

 length from the tip of the nose to the end of the body, being 

 a little more than eight inches and a quarter, or, including the 

 tail, one foot one inch. The weight of the male, according to 

 Pennant, is about nine ounces. Its head is larger and rounder 

 than that of the more terrestrial rats ; its nose is thick and 

 blunt, instead of being attenuated like theirs j the eyes are small 

 and not very prominent ; the ears are short, and scarcely appear 

 through the hair ; the incisor teeth are large, chisel- shaped, very 

 strong, yellow in front, and so much resemble those of the 

 beaver, that Linnaeus in his Fauna Suecica applied the name 

 Castor to the present species, which, indeed, is regarded by 

 some modern naturalists as an aberrant form of that genus ; 

 the surface of the molar teeth, of which there are three on the 

 sides of either jaw, is formed of alternate triangles arranged 

 on each longitudinal axis ; on each foot are five toes, but 

 the inner toe of the fore-foot appears to be very small, because 

 its last phalanx only is conspicuous beyond the skin, and as 

 its first joint is very flexible, it probably serves as a thumb ; 

 the hinder feet are not webbed, though united to a short 

 distance from the base. The fur on the head and body is 

 thicker and longer than in the rat's ; it is of a bright reddish 

 brown mixed with grey above, but yellowish grey, or iron 

 grey on the belly ; the tail is covered with hairs, as those on 

 the lower surface are rather long, this appendage probably acts 

 as a rudder to assist the animal in swimming ; the tip of the 

 tail is white. The Rev. L. Jenyns says, that a black variety 

 of the water vole is not uncommon in the fens of Cambridge- 

 shire ; and Mr. Macgillivray says, this variety is exceedingly 

 common in the counties of Banff and Aberdeen. Pennant, 

 perhaps, drew up his description from a somewhat similar 

 variety, as he describes the hair of its head and body as being 

 " chiefly black, but mixed with some of a reddish hue." 



The haunts of the water vole are the banks of rivers, ponds, 

 and ditches, where it burrows to a considerable distance. It 

 is of a shy disposition, and being an excellent diver it instantly 



