FIELl) VOLES IN THESSALY. 319 



food, and caused such terrible ravages in a short time that last 

 year scarcely any harvest was gathered. How suddenly, and 

 with what amazing rapidity, the voles did their work of destruction 

 is recorded in the reports of several official commissions. One 

 evening a field was visited, which was to be mowed the following 

 day ; but when the labourers came to the place next morning 

 they found nothing left to cut. The voles had destroyed the 

 entire crop in a single night. A miller in the neighbourhood 

 of Velestino reported that he went to his field early one morning, 

 cut a measure of corn, loaded it on his ass, and brought it to his 

 mill. When he returned with a second load to his mill, he found 

 scarcely a vestige of the first load remaining. Thinking the corn 

 had been stolen, he kept watch, intending to catch the supposed 

 thief in case he returned. But suddenly, to his great astonish- 

 ment, hosts of Field Voles appeared, which immediately set to 

 work to carry off the second load. 



Recollecting the experiences of 1866, the principal Thessalian 

 landowners immediately formed a committee to take measures 

 against the voles as soon as their appearance in large numbers 

 was reported. The president and most active member was 

 M. Anastassiades, the manager of the large estates of M. Stafa- 

 novic. It was this M. Stafanovic who telegraphed from his 

 residence at Pera, Constantinople, to Prof. Pasteur in Paris, 

 inquiring whether he happened to possess a microbe which could 

 be used for the destruction of the Field Voles. Prof. Pasteur 

 telegraphed back that he should apply to me, for I had discovered 

 a microbe which would destroy them. This reply was forwarded 

 to the Government at Athens, and I have no doubt that the 

 recommendation of the distinguished French bacteriologist had 

 some influence in deciding the Greek Government to invite me to 

 come to Greece with an assistant. 



The great danger which threatened the Thessalian harvest 

 was at once appreciated to its full extent by the Greek Govern- 

 ment. This year the harvest promised to be an uncommonly 

 good one. The amount at stake was estimated at from 40,000,000 

 to 50,000,000 francs. The Government immediately appointed 

 a number of specialists to deal with the voles. These were 

 M. Kyriakos, Sub-director of the Agricultural School at Athens ; 

 M. Ambelikopulos, Professor at the Normal School at Larissa ; 

 and M. Muratoglos, Professor at the Normal School at Ahuiro. 



