136 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
they often develop into a pest. The 
SHORT-TAILED FIELD-VOLE is respon- 
sible for much destruction of crops in 
Europe. One of the latest plagues of 
these animals took place in the Low- 
lands of Scotland, where these voles 
devoured all the higher pastures on 
the hills. Nearly at the same time 
a similar plague occurred in Turkish 
Epirus. When a special commis- 
sioner was sent to enquire into the 
Photo by A, $, Rudland & Sons remedies (if any existed) there in 
OCTODONT use, he found that the Turks were 
The octodont, so called because they bave four molar teeth on each side of the jaw importing holy water from Mecca to 
sprinkle on the fields affected. The 
BANK-VOLE is a small English species, replaced on the Continent by the SouTHERN FIELD-VOLE. 
The WatTeEr-RaT belongs to the vole group. It is one of the most commonly seen of all 
American mammals—probably, except the rabbit, the most familiar. Although not entirely 
nocturnal, it prefers the darkness or twilight; but whenever the visitor to the waterside keeps 
still, the water-rats will allow him to watch them. The writer has had rather an extensive 
acquaintance with these cousins of the beavers, and, while watching them, has never ceased to be 
struck with their close resemblance to those creatures. At Holkham Lake, in Norfolk, he no- 
ticed a willow-bush, in which a number of twigs had been gnawed off; and then saw the missing 
sticks lying neatly peeled, just like “ beaver-wood,” in the water below. Waiting quietly, he 
noticed a water-rat climb into the bush, gnaw off a willow twig, descend with it to the edge of 
the water, and there, sitting on some crossed boughs, peel and eat the bark, just as a beaver does. 
By rivers a sound is often heard in the round reeds as of something tearing or biting them. 
it is made by the water-rats getting their supper. The rat cuts off three or four sedges and 
makes a rough platform. It then cuts down a piece of one of the large round reeds full of pith, 
and, holding it in its hands, seizes the bark with its teeth, and shreds it up the stem, peeling it 
from end to end. This exposes the white pith, which the rat then eats, Water-rats have been 
seen to swim out and pick up acacia blossoms float- 
ing on the water. When swimming under water, each 
hair is tipped by a little bubble, which makes the rat 
look like quicksilver. When it comes out, the rat 
shakes itself with a kind of shiver, throwing all the 
water off its coat. Though so good a swimmer, its 
feet are not webbed. It is found from Scotland to 
the Bering Sea, but not in Ireland. 
In the Far North the Lemmine takes the place of 
the voles. It is a very small, short-tailed creature, like 
a diminutive prairie-dog. Like the voles, lemmings 
have seasons of immoderate increase. They then 
migrate in enormous flocks, and are said never to 
stop till they reach the sea, into which they plunge. 
It is believed that they are following an inherited 
instinct, and that where there is now sea there once 
was land, over which they passed onwards. This is « large aquatic rodent, found on the South 
The Musk-rat inhabits the same waters as the American rivers, Its fur, called ‘‘nutria,” forms « 
beaver of North America. It makes ahouse, generally valuable export from Argentina 
are a group of rodents found mainly in South America 
Photo by L. Medland, F.Z.8.] 
COYPU 
(North Finchley 
