l66 MAMMALIA. 



some place to escape, leaping about squeaking in their efforts to keep 

 out of the way of the mole which pursued them constantly. The 

 mole's mode of attack was to seize the mouse in the region of the 

 throat. This it did by turning its head as it sprang at the mouse, at 

 the same time uttering a chattering sound. The mice would strike 



o <_> 



at, and usually knock the mole away with their front feet, but if the 

 latter got a hold of the mouse, it would then try to bite, and they 

 would both tumble about like dogs in a fight. The little chap at last 

 attacked one mouse and kept with it, and in about ten minutes had 

 it killed ; but even before it was dead the mole commenced eating its 



<_> 



eyes and face. About ten minutes later the mole had devoured all 

 the head of the mouse and continued to eat. I have captured and 

 caged several moles this winter and they all display the same untiring 

 greedy nature. According to my observations the little mammal 

 under consideration eats about twice or three times its own weight 

 of food every 24 hours and when we consider that their principal 

 food consists of insects, it is quite bewildering to imagine the myriads 

 one must destroy in a year." * 



Upon reading the above very interesting observations, I immedi- 

 ately wrote to Mr. Morden for a specimen of the " mole " in question. 

 It was kindly sent me and proved to be an unusually large Short- 

 tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda]. 



I had not previously known that the Shrew was a mouse-eater, 

 and hence determined to repeat Mr. Morden's experiments. There- 

 fore, having caught a vigorous, though undersized Shrew, I put him 

 in a large wooden box and provided him with an ample supply of 

 beechnuts, which he ate eagerly. He was also furnished with a 

 saucer of water, from which he frequently drank. After he had re- 

 mained two days in these quarters, I placed in the box with him an 

 uninjured and very active white-footed mouse. The Shrew at the 

 time weighed 11.20 grammes, while the mouse, which was a 



* Canadian Sportsman and Naturalist, vol. Ill, Nos. XI & XII, December, 1883 [not published 

 till February. 1884), p. 283. 



