454 The Plague of Field Mice, by Sir Walter Elliot. 



farms. Soon more particular statements appeared in the local 

 journals, and the subject was discussed at the meetings of the 

 Teviotdale Farmer's Club in March and April. 



So serious had the evil become that, on the latter occasion, a 

 Committee was appointed to visit and report on the infested 

 localities. At the same time the Club printed and circulated a 

 series of queries, inviting- replies from farmers, shepherds, and 

 others, likely to be most familiar with the matter. 



The Committee accordingly inspected some of the farms, but 

 they do not appear to have furnished a formal report. A sketch 

 of it, however, prepared by one of the members, was printed in 

 the Hawiclc Advertiser of May 13, which was accepted and dis- 

 cussed at the meeting of the Club on the 1st June following.* 



The replies to the queries were not numerous, nor for the most 

 part very exact. From all these sources, and from frequent 

 private enquiries, the following particulars were obtained.. 



ix. The most common kind of sp>ret is Juncus articulatus and its variety J. 

 lamprocakpus ; a large constituent of bog-hay. (Johns. 199). 



x. Bull-snout, Bui? s-f aces, Starr-grass of some ; Aiua cjespitosa, (Johns. 

 211) , a valuable winter-grass, as none stand tne frost so well. 



Prye, Pry, is called " the bottom of spret," which alone is eaten by sheep 

 when the spret gets old and hard. Several plants are included under this 

 term, as : — 



xi. Poa trivialts ; Rough stalked Meadow '-grass, also called Forked grass. 

 It forms one of the "Natural Grasses" as they are called, from the large 

 share they contribute to meadow pastm-es. (Johns. 215). 



xii. Holcus lanatus forms the bulk of the "Bottom or Benty bog." It 

 is also called Midge-grass. (Johns. 212). 



xiii. Carex panic ea also is c nsidered a prye grass, as are other species 

 of Carex, several of which appear to be confounded with other generic 

 vernacular names 'Johns. 207), but they are little prized as sheep pasture. 

 This kind, however stands frost well, and is so far useful in winter. 



Specimens of a grass which was sent from Dumfriesshire as having been 

 much destroyed by the voles, under the name of Cocks-foot, were afterwards 

 corrected to Starr grass. Of the two specimens received, one 



xiv. Cocksfoot was fund to be Dactylis glomerata, which grows freely 

 on lea land . the other, or Starr-grass, proved to be the Aira cjespitosa, 

 already noticed as Bull-snout. (See No. ix above) The term Starr appears 

 to be generic. Jamieson renders it by Carex ciESPiTOSA; Halliwell by 

 " Sedge, grass of the fens.'' In the Flora Suecica, all the species of Cauex 

 are given by Linnaeus as kinds of Starr. 



xv Farcy or Faircy ; Ranunculus sp ; probably R eepens or R. 

 bulbosus, was reported to have been greedily attacked by the voles. 

 * It is appended as an authoritative document. 



