1 The head is rather large for the size of the creature." 



THE FIELD VOLE 



T 



HE Field Vole, or Short- 

 Tailed Field Mouse, as it is 

 frequently called, measures 

 from three and three-quarter 

 inches to four and three- 

 quarter inches in length. 

 About one-third of this 

 is accounted for by the 

 animal's somewhat slender hair-clad tail. 

 The head is rather large for the size of 

 the creature, and the ears longer propor- 

 tionately than those of the Water Vole. 

 The fur on the animal's upper parts is 

 greyish brown and greyish white under- 

 neath . 



It breeds practically all over Europe, 

 and although common in England, Scot- 

 land, and Wales, is not met with in 

 Ireland. 



Generally speaking, its habitat is damp 

 meadows and marshes, but these are by 

 no means essential to its well-being, as 



it may be found in great abundance on 

 dry pasture land and moors. 



The food of this rodent consists of 

 clover, grass roots, grass seeds, corn, and 

 almost any and every green substance 

 that may come in its way. It excavates 

 tunnels or runs in the ground, and in 

 these it stores large numbers of acorns, 

 beech mast, and other forms of wild 

 fruit for consumption when it awakes 

 from its winter slumbers. 



By some authorities it is said to breed 

 three or four times a year, and as many 

 as six by others, but it is, of course, 

 difficult to disprove or corroborate state- 

 ments of this character concerning 

 animals in a wild state, and what they 

 do in confinement cannot be admitted 

 as convincing evidence. From four to 

 six young ones form a usual litter. They 

 are generally found in cosy nests built 

 of fine dry grass blades in some slight 



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