THE BANK VOLE 



the bushes in search of any odds and ends of 

 berries that may have been missed during the 

 winter, it will come across a new bird's nest, 

 when it will make short work either of eggs or 

 young ones, for this pretty little vole does not, 

 when it gets the chance, mind eating flesh — it 

 will even eat its own friends ! In short, it is 

 not above being a cannibal ! Really there is 

 very little the bank vole will not eat, and when 

 it becomes plentiful it is a serious nuisance. 

 Once in a way, generally after a mild winter 

 and a warm dry spring, all the different kinds 

 of mice begin to increase in numbers — bank 

 voles, field voles, and long-tailed mice get 

 more and more numerous. Family after family 

 of little mice are brought up and started out 

 into the world, and in a very short time are 

 bringing up families of their own. The owls, 

 hawks, foxes, and cats catch and eat mice 

 until they are sick of them, and still the mice 

 go on increasing. They eat everything, even 

 the bark off young trees, and in gardens and 

 allotments clear all things before them. This 

 is what is called a 'vole plague,' and it is a 

 very serious matter. Generally it is brought 

 to an end by disease breaking out among the 

 swarms ; they die by hundreds, and for a time 



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