The Campagnol, or short-tailed field-mouse, is still more common and
generally diffused than the long-tailed kind. The latter generally
prefers elevated grounds, while the former is found in woods, meadows,
and even gardens. It is remarkable for the bigness of its head and
shortness of its tail, which is not above an inch long. It digs holes
in the earth, where it amasses corn, nuts, and acorns; the former of
which it appears to prefer to every kind of food. About the month of
July, when the corn begins to ripen they collect together from all
quarters, and frequently do great damage by cutting the stalks to come
at the ears; they also seem to follow the reapers and pick up all the
grain that falls. When the gleanings are exhausted, they resort to the
new-sown lands, and not unoften destroy the hopes of the succeeding
year. At the end of autumn, and in winter, most of them withdraw into
the woods where they feed on beech-mast, nuts and acorns. Some years
they appear in such great numbers that they would destroy every thing
were they to continue for any length of time, but for want of food they
eat each other, and are also destroyed by the long-tailed field-mouse,
the fox, wild cat, marten, and weasel. In its internal parts, this
animal more resembles the water-rat than any other; but externally it
differs from him in many essential characters: First, in size, the
campagnol not being more than three inches long, whereas the water-rat
is seven; secondly, by the dimensions of its head and body, those
of the former being thicker in proportion than those of the latter;
thirdly, by the length of the tail, that of the campagnol not exceeding
one third, while that of the water-rat is nearly two thirds the length
of its body; and lastly, by appetite and inclinations, for the former
neither feeds upon fish nor plunges into the water, but lives upon
grain, acorns, and bulbous roots. Their holes resemble those of the
long-tailed field mouse, and are often divided into two apartments,
though they are less spacious and are not dug so deep. Several of them
sometimes live together. When the females are about to bring forth they
collect grass to make beds for their young. They produce in spring and
summer, and generally from five to eight at a time.
_Engraved for Barr's Buffon._
[Illustration: FIG: 79. _Guinea-Pig._]
[Illustration: FIG: 80. _Hedge Hog._]
[Illustration: FIG: 81. _Shrewmouse._]