Introductory. 5 



the water-vole {Arvicola amphibia) plunges in my fish- 

 pondj and honeycombs tKe banks of the self-same brook 

 that supplies it; while its congener of the land {A. 

 agrestis) breeds in myriads over the adjoining meadows, 

 hollowing out its nest just enough under the sward for 

 its hairless callow young to be clear of the dangerous 

 scythe-blade. Around the driei* ditches the hedgehog 

 searches for snails, munching these crustaceaj despite 

 their silicious shield — which is no protection against the 

 teeth of the urchin, who swallows armour and all. The 

 mole, " mooting " after earth worms, if not kept under 

 by continuous trapping, makes spoil of my pasture-land, 

 in places giving it the appearance of a ploughed field j 

 while the squirrel, more agile, and less destructive, lends 

 animation to my groves and copses. Not so nice is the 

 near companionship of the rat, — he erroneously supposed 

 to be a native of Norway, — who ranges around my rick- 

 yard, occasionally seeking entrance into barn and corn-bin, 

 with a suspicion attached to him of not being content 

 with a -menu purely vegetarian, but having also a tooth for 

 young chicks and ducklings. When I add to this list of 

 indigenous mammals the mouse, dormouse, and several 

 species of Sorex, the catalogue is pretty complete; though 

 I have a soupgon of a wild cat, which seems to have shown 

 itself in the neighbourhood some months ago. I am in 

 search of this suspicious " Tom,'' and if I can " tree " 

 him will account it a triumph. 



The reptile world around me is represented by the 

 usual British genera and species : two snakes and a 

 doubtful third, the " slow-worm," sometimes called 

 " blind-worm " {Anguis fragilis), of which last I have 

 lately captured a specimen measuring eighteen inches in 

 length. Batrachians abound in the shape of toads, frogs. 



