  We discuss the results of a VLA HI survey of the Bootes void and compare the
distribution and HI properties of the void galaxies to those of galaxies found
in a survey of regions of mean cosmic density. The Bootes survey covers 1100
Mpc$^{3}$, or $\sim$ 1\% of the volume of the void and consists of 24 cubes of
typically 2 Mpc * 2 Mpc * 1280 km/s, centered on optically known galaxies.
Sixteen targets were detected in HI; 18 previously uncataloged objects were
discovered directly in HI. The control sample consists of 12 cubes centered on
IRAS selected galaxies with FIR luminosities similar to those of the Bootes
targets and located in regions of 1 to 2 times the cosmic mean density. In
addition to the 12 targets 29 companions were detected in HI. We find that the
number of galaxies within 1 Mpc of the targets is the same to within a factor
of two for void and control samples, and thus that the small scale clustering
of galaxies is the same in regions that differ by a factor of $\sim$ 6 in
density on larger scales. A dynamical analysis of the galaxies in the void
suggests that on scales of a few Mpc the galaxies are gravitationally bound,
forming interacting galaxy pairs, loose pairs and loose groups. One group is
compact enough to qualify as a Hickson compact group. The galaxies found in the
void are mostly late-type, gas rich systems. A careful scrutiny of their HI and
optical properties shows them to be very similar to field galaxies of the same
morphological type. This, combined with our finding that the small scale
clustering of the galaxies in the void is the same as in the field, suggests
that it is the near environment that mostly affects the evolution of galaxies.
