BRITISH MAMMALS 
Haunting the banks of quiet, weedy streams, ponds, or wide ditches, 
it is seldom found far from water. 
As usual in many of our small rodents it appears to be short-sighted, 
and consequently may be watched at very close quarters if the observer 
will only remain still. Under these conditions it is interesting to study 
its habits. It likes to leave its hiding place in the daytime, when it may 
often be seen sitting up on its haunches busily brushing and cleansing 
its coat or engaged in a meal. In habits it is almost entirely vegetarian, 
chiefly eating the shoots, leaves, and roots of different water plants and 
also the bark of trees. Turnips and potatoes are sometimes attacked in 
winter, and acorns too are eaten at this time. 
The Water Vole has been accused of taking fish, but if it does so 
this is not a common habit. As the Common Brown Rat often resorts 
to the banks of streams for a living, it is not unlikely that the two species 
are sometimes confused. 
If disturbed when sitting by a stream, the Water Vole instantly dives, 
and swimming under water seeks the entrance of his burrow, which is 
often below the surface, but there is usually a second outlet leading to 
the air. When in danger and requiring at the same time to come to 
the surface to breathe, the Water Vole will cleverly conceal its where- 
abouts by rising under the cover of floating vegetation or some such 
protection. 
In shallow water one can generally follow with the eye the direction 
taken, by the cloudy track of mud disturbed by the action of the animal. 
A nest of dry grass and other herbage is made for the young either 
in a burrow or above ground among protecting vegetation, where from 
four to five are born at a time. 
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