WENGEB THE MOLE 275 



feet branches) showed the untiring efforts of this so-called "noc- 

 turnal creature," in procuring food. 



It is in the loose soil near the surface that he finds the fat grubs 

 and larvae that constitute so large a part of his diet. I regret that 

 he must come so near the surface on his noonday excursions, 

 tempted by his insatiable appetite to follow his special choices of 

 food which are also moving upward. It is then that he is often 

 caught by the enemy who accuses him of destroying his crops. 

 This accusation is not altogether unjust for I must acknowledge 

 that in his vigorous digging he breaks off tiny roots of grass and 

 garden plants. But he does not feed on these, and since he does 

 feed on the destructive grubs and insect larvae, many of which do 

 attack the roots, I would beg you to stay the hand that has per- 

 haps been too ready to deal the death-blow. Neither should the 

 mole be branded "guilty" because you have not been aware that 

 the field mouse finds his abandoned tunnel a convenient road- 

 way to the grainfield where he finds the food he desires. 



Occasionally the mole comes out upon the surface at night, 

 perhaps to get a smell of the air above ground, — surely not to 

 look about him, for his underground life has practically deprived 

 him of the use of his eyes, the tiny remnants enabling him only to 

 distinguish between light and darkness. It is his delicate ol- 

 factory organs that must guide him, and these tell him the presence 

 of desirable food and of undesirable enemies. 



As the frost enters the ground, this creature burrows deeper 

 into the earth, but does not hibernate. Since it has been shown 

 to be a fact that he cannot live without food for much longer 

 than ten or twelve hours, he must continue his active life farther 

 underground during the winter season. The larvae, grubs, 

 and earthworms have also retreated below the frost line and their 

 numbers must surely be greatly reduced by our friend with his 

 enormous appetite. 



This naked-tailed mole has near relatives whose names suggest 

 certain of their characteristics. 



The Hairy-tailed Mole, also known as Brewer's Mole, is found 

 in Northern North America, southward to the mountains of 

 New Jersey and the Alleghanies. It is smaller than the common 

 mole, dark gray in color, has a longer tail which is thickly haired, 

 but otherwise resembles its relative very closely in form and 

 habits. 



