470 MAMMALIA. 



and white beneath ; the sides of the head are orange. The 

 colour, however, varies a good deal, but is always brightest in the 

 female sex. The feet are long and delicate, and covered with 

 fine yellowish hairs in front and white at the sides. Tail 

 scantily clothed with hair. Length, as a rule, two and a half 

 inches ; tail two inches. The period of gestation is said to 

 be three weeks ; the young vary from iive to eight. This 

 species builds a beautiful nest lined with fine hair and grass, 

 said to be split up by the animal's teeth. The nests are often 

 no larger than an orange, and sometimes quite round. This 

 breeding-nest is much like that of a bird. A winter nest is 

 also formed, where they pass the cold months of the year, in 

 stacks, &c. The favourite localities are amongst reeds, long 

 grass, and low shrubs, where the nest is often placed some way 

 off the ground. It is no unusual thing for M. messoriiLS to take 

 the nest of a warbler and build its own in and over it. They 

 may sometimes be found in wheat- and barley-fields, but never 

 in any great number. These mice feed on corn and various 

 seeds, also flies and other insects, and they are known to eat the 

 buds of gooseberries and currants. Hazel-buds are also eaten. 



The Common Mouse {M. musculus) need not be referred to, 

 being well known. It is chiefly this species that we find so 

 abundantly in corn-fields, and not M. messorius, as is generally 

 supposed. 



Aevicolid^ or Voles. 



These can be told from the true Eats and Mice by the more 

 solid body, thick head, and blunt snout, by the absence of ex- 

 ternal ears, which are covered in fur, and by scales being 

 found wanting on the tail, which may be partly hairy. 



There are three common species — namelj', the Water- Vole 

 (Arvicola amphibius), the Eank-Vole (^-1. ijlareolus), and the 

 Field- Vole {A. a(irestis). None of these are found in Ireland. 



The Field -Vole [A. ar/restis), sometimes called the shorWailed 

 field-mouse, is a small vole with dark-bro-svnish back and grey 



