158 



The Living Animals of the World 



FluUo l>i, J. .s. U,i, lla,i,l d- Sn 



OCTODOXT. 



The octodonts, so called because they have fouv molar teetli on each side of the jaw, 

 .are a yrouii of rodents found luuinly in South America. 



tliey often develoj) into a pest. The 

 Short-tailed Field-vole is re.sponsible 

 for much de.struetion of crops in 

 Europe. One of the latest plagues 

 of these animals took place in the 

 Lowlands 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 an English commis- 

 sioner was sent to enquire into the 

 remedies (if any existed) there in 

 use, he found that the Turks were 

 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 Water-rat belongs to the vole group. It is one of the most commonly seen 

 of all our English mammals — probably, except the rabbit, the most familiar. Although not 

 entirely nocturnal, it jorefers 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 noticed 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 (juietly, 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 the Thames a sound is often heard in the round reeds as of 

 sometliing 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 liands, 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 floating on the water. 

 When swimming under water, each hair is tipped by 

 a little bubble, which makes the rat look like quick- 

 silver. 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 webljed. 

 It is found from Scotland to the Bering Sea, but not 

 in Ireland. 



In the Far North the Lemming 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 tliat they are following an inlierited 

 instinct, and that wliere there is now sea there once 

 was land, over which they passed onwards. 



The Musk-rat inliabits the same waters as the 

 beaver of Nortli America. It makes a house, generally 



riwto I,,/ L. UiilL 



[Sorth FhuMqi. 



'Jliis is a large aquatic rodent, found on tlio South 

 American rivers. Its fur, called " nutria," forms a valuable 

 export from Argentina. 



