1 3° 
NOTES ON THE SHORT-TAILED FIELD MOUSE 
OR FIELD VOLE (Arvicola agrestis), AND THE BANK 
VOLE (Arvicola glareolus). 
N July 12 I saw one of our cats coming towards the 
house with a bank vole in her mouth. She gave it 
up to one of her kittens, which seized and ran off 
with it, growling like a little tiger. Noticing that 
it was still alive, I took it from the kitten and put it in a cage 
in which these animals have often been kept. It seemed quite 
unhurt, and in a few days some young ones were born. 
On the 22nd a litter of young field voles (A. agrestis) were 
brought to the house by a boy. They were far too young to 
live without their dam. being yet unable to see, and were 
nearly cold and only able just to sprawl a little with their limbs. 
They were, however, already covered with fur of a yellowish- 
brown tint. 
Though at least a week older than the young bank voles, 
it struck me as just possible the old vole might rear at least 
one of them, though she had six of her own, and, therefore, 
put one of the young field voles in her nest. The experiment 
succeeded, for all were reared and did well. Quoting from my 
notes under date July 26, “ The young bank voles are still 
unable to see, but already very lively, springing wildly about 
in a random sort of way. Their fur is very bright and glossy, 
and is of a decidedly reddish tint. The young field vole begins 
to come out of the nest box and runs about the cage.” 
July 28. — Some of the young bank voles are just beginning 
to see, being now, I think, about a fortnight old. Before their 
eyes were open, they ran about quite actively w r hen taken out 
of the nest, and could even find their way back into it. When 
disturbed in their box, they would at once scramble out in a 
most determined way, just as nearly full-fledged young black- 
birds, thrushes and other birds do under similar circumstances. 
Young field voles in their nests out in the meadows act in the 
same way, returning to the nest as soon as all is quiet. 
July 29. — The eyes of some of the young bank voles are not 
yet fully open. 
July 30.— First noticed one of them out feeding — on a leaf 
of the narrow-leafed plantain or rib-grass. They are now very 
pretty little creatures. 
August 9. — The young field vole is now very nearly as large 
as its foster mother, the bank vole. 
On leaving home for several weeks, I was obliged early in 
September to give these interesting animals their liberty. The 
nest box containing the whole family was placed (without the 
cage) in a thick bed of oak leaves, under the wide over-hanging 
eaves of a thatched summerhouse, in a plantation, where these 
