WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



and worrying while good nuts are to be had. 

 So it goes on : the fox, the cat, the weasel, the 

 owls, and the hawks, all take their toll, keeping 

 down the numbers and saving us from a vole 

 plague, from little red mice running all over 

 our gardens and eating them bare of everything. 

 With the spring, however few the voles have 

 become, their numbers begin to go up again. 

 With the warmer days of March and April there 

 come a stir and disturbance in the mice world ; 

 there is much squeaking and fighting, mother 

 voles seek holes to themselves, where they collect 

 fine grass and leaves, and, shredding these up, 

 make a soft warm bed. This is the nursery 

 for the tiny naked pink babies, which may 

 number from two or three up to six or seven. 

 About four is the most usual number. They 

 grow very quickly and are soon covered with 

 dark down-like fur ; then their eyes open (they 

 are blind to begin with), and by fourteen days 

 old are able to run about and feed themselves. 

 While the young are small and helpless their 

 mother is most devoted to them, and a caged 

 bank vole has been known to attack a hand put 

 near her nest. As soon as the first family 

 is able to look after itself the mother begins 

 to get ready another nest. Very likely this 



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