A HISTORY OF SUFFOLK
numbers are sometimes found congregated together in the lower part of the stack. After the corn is gone, they often remain throughout the winter in the straw left on the spot. On one occasion a pair were observed by Mr. Moor in a stack of tares. The writer has seen the nest of this little animal built in tall reed-like grass, in the midst of a thin white-thorn hedge beside a ditch at Snape; among straggling blackthorn bushes in a similar situation at Leiston, and in a plant of the common broom at Washbrook. A nest built among standing barley was presented by Mr. E. C. Moor to the Ipswich Museum.
30. Water Vole. Microtus amphibius, Linn. Bell — Arvicola amphibius.
Common in suitable situations in most parts of the county. From its inoffensive habits it is less persecuted by man than most of our British rodents, and the presence of this busy little creature gives an additional interest to most rivers, streams and ponds. It is less shy than many animals, and as its range of vision seems to be rather limited, it can by careful stalking be very closely approached, especially when feeding. The Rev. F.C.K. Jourdain has observed that the water vole is very rarely preyed upon by owls, though our two smaller voles are often devoured by these birds. The writer has more than once seen it feeding on the leaves of the common blue forget-me-not.
The black variety of this animal, common in some parts of Scotland, and also found in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, occurs in a few districts. Professor Newton has reported it to be common in the neighbourhood of Thetford on the Norfolk boundary,' and the Rev. J. G. Tuck in February 1898 received a good specimen of this variety, in the flesh, killed at the stables of Hopton Rectory, about a mile from the Little Ouse.» The specimen is still in his possession. Mr. H. Lingwood, in a letter to the writer, states that he has not unfrequently seen the black variety of the water vole in the river Gipping, near his house, at Needham Market. A specimen about the colour of M. decumanus, but having a pinkish tinge, was seen some years ago by Mr. A. M. Rope near Leiston.
31. Field Vole. Microtus agrestis, Linn. Bell — Arvicola agrestis.
Local name, 'Meadow Mouse.' About Thetford it is called the 'Bog Mouse.' Very common in meadows and marshy ground, but from its protective colouring, and burrowing and tunnelling habits, it usually attracts little notice. On the salt marshes near the coast, and the river walls, it abounds and grows to a large size. It also makes its appearance on arable land when cropped with clover, lucerne and other forage plants. It is very prolific, and continues breeding through more than half the year. In Suffolk the writer has found nests of the field vole containing young, sometimes as many as ten in one litter, from 9 March till 13 October. Some of the earlier of these contain fur, plucked from rabbits or any other dead animals available; that of its own species being sometimes used for this purpose. In cutting grass, these nests, built on the surface of the ground, generally in some slight depression, not unfrequently get entangled among the knives of the mowing machine and impede its progress. This little animal takes the water quite readily. If surprised at the water's edge, it swims out boldly like a miniature water vole, and can easily cross most ditches, but if the width is too great for its liking it soon turns back. The writer once saw a rather small field vole cross the river Aide, against a strong current, at a spot where it is between 30 and 40 feet wide (measured). This species is sometimes found on the sea shore at low tide, close to the surf, apparently searching for animal food among the seaweed. The writer once surprised one of these voles, thus engaged, on the sand under the cliff at Iken, at the brink of the water. It at once swam straight out from the shore, but soon returned. In November 1872 an albino field vole was caught alive at East Bergholt and brought to Mr. W. S. Calvert of that place, who recorded the occurrence in the Field of 30 November 1872.
A perfectly black female suckling a litter of young ones of the normal colour was captured in a clover field at Blaxhall on 25 June 1886. Its fur was of a rich shining black, long and abundant. This specimen is now in the Ipswich Museum. In an adjoining pea-field, a second black female was caught alive on 7 August in the same year, and was sent to the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park. This species is much sought after by weasels, kestrels and owls, the short-eared or woodcock owl in particular.
32. Bank Vole. Evotomys glareolus, Schreber. Bell — Arvicola glareolus.
This pretty little animal is common in many parts of the county, and is probably much more generally distributed than is often supposed, frequenting old rough banks, woods,
» yf History oj British ^druptds, Thos. Bell,
F.Z.S., ed. 2 (1874), p. 3"-
' Zookgisl, 1898, p. 122.
' W. G. Clarke in litt.
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