NOTE ON THE MOLE, (TALPA VULGARIS.) 



BY J. B. DAVIES, ESQ. 



With regard to Mr. Smee's assertion, quoted in ^^The Naturalist" of 

 November, by Mr. Hannaford, that the Mole is without eyes, I have it to 

 state, from personal observation, that it is incorrect. In the summer of last 

 year, accompanied by an artistic friend, I was scrambling among the rocks to the 

 north of Duddingston Loch here, in search of Asplenium septentrionale, etc., 

 when my companion announced the discovery of the hind quarters of some 

 animal sticking up from among a heap of loose rubbish; it turned out to be 

 a Mole, which we captured, brought home, and kept alive in my room for 

 three days. His temporary habitation was an old tea chest, half-filled with 

 earth, and fitted on the top with glass, through which we could observe his 

 habits. A quantity of worms were mixed with the mould, in order to afford 

 a supply of food; and if Mr. Smee had seen him dart across the box after 

 one of his poor victims, I think he would not have denied him the benefit 

 of sight. I may further add, that he evidently took notice of objects placed 

 in his path, before approaching close to them, and rapidly dived beneath the 

 earth when the hand or any other obstacle was placed before him. As to 

 there being no eyes, or ^^sockets in the skull to receive eyeballs," I can 

 only say that on the dissection of our subject, with the assistance of a medical 

 friend, we were fully satisfied of the existence of both. I believe, however, 

 that the range of vision in the Mole is very limited; for he took no notice 

 of us so long as we kept at the outside of his box, but nibbled away at his 

 repast with great gusto, A fact which appeared to me to be interesting, and 

 which I had never seen recorded, came under my observation at the same 

 time, that is, that my prisoner positively refused to take a bite, unless he 

 had the worm endway in his mouth. 



Edinhurgh^ November 4:f,h., 1851. 



EYES OF THE MOLE, {TALPA VULGABIS.) 



BY H. K. CREED, ESQ. 



Having lately been carefully examining the eyes of the Common Mole, 

 (Talpa vulgaris,) and the parts connected with them, I find, (contrary to 

 Mr. Smee's assertion, in his "Instinct and Reason,") that the "little black 

 tubercles," which are seen on turning aside the hair on each side of the head, 

 have each an optic nerve, communicating with the brain. 



On dissecting the head of a Mole, a few days since, I found two nerves 

 connecting the eye with the brain; one of these is the optic nerve, and the 

 other the second branch of the fifth pair of nerves. 



If a Mole's skull is examined with attention, three small holes will be 

 found, some way further back than the eye; through the largest of these pass 



