136 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



For bait I found ration cheese by far the best. With this 

 one could catch all the five different Shrews, Wood-Mice, and ah 

 occasinal Bank-Vole. 



The solitary specimen of the Subterranean Vole (Pitymys 

 subterraneus) which was procured was also caught with cheese. 



For the Voles I tried almonds, raisins, chestnuts, bread, and 

 apple, of which almonds proved the most attractive, but even the 

 Voles seemed to prefer cheese. 



Once I caught a Common Shrew (Sorex araneus) with bread, 

 and on another occasion a Crocidura leucodon was trapped after 

 eating more than half an almond — a surprising diet for one of 

 the Insectivora : but at the time the ground was frozen hard and 

 there was a good deal of snow. 



The Moles were caught with the ordinary mole-trap, and are 

 very common. 



Hares were fairly plentiful, but I did not see a single Eabbit 

 during all the months in which we were in this part of the 

 country. 



The inhabitants told me that there were Hedgehogs in the 

 summer, and a schoolmaster with whom I went to fish one day 

 in some old clay-pits declared he had several times seen an Otter 

 there. 



List of Mammals Caught Close to the Trenches in 

 Flanders from October, 1915, to February, 1916. 



Talpa europoea. Mole. 



Very common. 



Sorex araneus. Common Shrew. 



Very common. 



Sorex minutus. Pigmy Shrew. 



This, the smallest of all European mammals, some specimens 

 measuring from the tip of snout to end of body not more than 

 40 mm., was fairly frequently caught in hollow willow-trees and 

 in water-ditches. Always caught with cheese for bait. 



Neomys fodiens. Water Shrew. 



They are fairly plentiful in certain water-ditches, though 

 they seem to be extremely local, and are fond of large deep 

 ditches with plenty of water in them and sufficient cover, such 

 as long grass and brambles. 



