158 



THE GNAWERS OR RODENTS. 



mouse {Arvico/a arvalis {agrestis)), fig. 214. 

 It is of about the size 

 of an ordinary mouse, 

 but its tail measures 

 little more than an 

 inch out of a total 

 length of 5^ inches. 

 The colour is a yellow- 

 ish-gray, somewhat 

 darker on the back 

 than underneath ; on 

 the belly it is a dirty 

 white inclining to red. 

 It is this field-vole in 

 particular which dev- 

 astates our fields; 

 sometimes it multi- 

 plies to such an extent 

 that the harvest is 

 totally destroyed. In 

 the circle of Zabern 

 (Saverne) in Alsace, 

 in the mouse year, 1822, a million and a half 

 of these destroyers 

 were killed. Foxes, 

 polecats, weasels, 

 owls, mouse-buzzards, 

 and other beasts of 

 prey are of all the less 

 avail in checking its 

 devastations, since 

 these animals are 

 themselves relentless- 

 ly destroyed in the 

 most senseless man- 

 ner. 



The Water-rat or 

 Water-vole [Arvi'co/a 

 amphibius), fig. 215, 

 likewise belongs to 

 this genus. It is of 

 the same colour as the 

 black rat, and attains 

 about the same size, 



Fig. 215. — The Water-rat or Water-vole (Arvicola amphiitus) 



Fig. 216. — The Lemming {Myodes lemmus). 



but is distinguished from it by its thick blunt 

 head, its short broad rounded ears, and its 



considerably shorter tail. This rat digs tun- 

 ■^.jjsjic-. nels in the neighbour- 



hood of water, and 

 ">#» * "^ lays waste plantations, 



though at the same 

 time it is very fond of 

 a flesh diet. It is a 

 capital swimmer and 

 diver. It is still a mat- 

 ter of doubt whether 

 the scherrmaus of the 

 Germans, which does 

 not frequent the water, 

 is the same species or 

 only a variety. 



A species regarding 

 which many fables 

 have been invented is 

 the Lemming {^Myodes 

 lemimis), fig. 216, a 

 vole with a thickset 

 body, large Inroad flat- 

 tened head, and with ears hidden in the fur. 



The lemming attains 

 the size of a moderate- 

 sized rat, but has a tail 

 only about an inch in 

 length. On the fore- 

 feet the first digit is 

 completely developed. 

 The coat resembles 

 that of the hamster, 

 and is in general of a 

 yellow colour with 

 brown spots and white 

 stripes. The under 

 parts are likewise 

 rather whitish. 



The lemming in- 

 habits the northern 

 parts of Europe. 

 During the Ice Age 

 its domain extended 

 as far as the Pyrenees 

 and the Alps. Species allied to it are found 

 in Siberia and Canada. On the high plateaux 



