during the Year 1 82S, ^^ 421 



the habits of the mole. Among others is the surprising quick- 

 ness with which it escapes, when frightened, through its sub- 

 terranean chambers, and in which are openings for air placed 

 at certain distances. It is a cruel voracious beast, satisfied 

 only with animal substances, and easily killed by hunger. 

 None of them can remain more than twelve hours without 

 food, and even after an interval of six hours they are much 

 exhausted. They generally eat worms and insects, but if 

 they can catch a bird, a small quadruped, or a frog, they pre- 

 cipitate themselves on it with fury, open the belly, devour the 

 entrails, pulling the edges of the wound asunder and pene- 

 trating as far as possible into the body without being diverted 

 from their purpose by the presence of man, or noise. They do 

 not even spare their own species, and if two are shut up to- 

 gether without food, there will shortly be nothing left of the 

 weakest but its skin, slit along the belly. 



M. Isidore GeofFroy has presented a memoir on those Chei- 

 roptera w|;iich feed on fruits, hitherto comprehended in the 

 genus Pteropus. To this genus he adds a new species to 

 those properly called Pteropus, and another to Pachysoma, 

 which has lately been separated from that genus. 



It is well known how many remarkable differences exist be- 

 tween animals that have been tamed and those living in a wild 

 state. Interesting as it has been to trace these changes, it has 

 been quite as much so to mark the alterations in animals who, 

 after having been domesticated, again become wild. Dr. Rou- 

 lin has given an account of some transported to South Ame- 

 rica by the Spaniards, and now living in their natural con- 

 dition. He first observes the return of these races to the 

 uniformity of their fur. All the horses are of a dark brown, 

 the asses are all of a dark grey, and the hogs are black. The 

 ears of the latter stand upright, and their skull is enlarged, 

 the courage of the ass is revived, and yet some few traces of 

 domesticity still remain. The horses amble, because they are 

 descended from ponies who were taught this pace ; the dogs, 

 who spring from hounds trained to hunt the peccary, still pre- 

 serve the same means of attack and defence; but the cows give 

 milk no longer than necessary for the nourishment of their 

 calves. 



M. Cuvier has added to M. Lemaire's great collection of 

 Latin classics, by explanations of those books of Pliny which 

 treat of animals. His object has been to determine the species 

 mentioned by Pliny as known to him only by report. In 

 order to accomplish this, M. Cuvier has brought to his assist- 

 ance all that has been said by the other ancient authors con- 

 cerning each animal, he has endeavoured to point out all that 



