THE MOLE. 219 



to its Ov^a destruction; and wKea one of a pair falls a victim to tlie murderous 

 gun, its partner will manifest the greatest distress — dashing about, uttering 

 notes apparently of mingled grief and defiance, swooping down so as some- 

 times almost to touch its dead companion, as though to convince itself of the 

 reality of its death, wheeling round and again returning incredulous, till at 

 length satisfied that no hope is left, it flies off to its lonely abode to mourn 

 its loss in solitude. 

 May 2StL, 1852. 



THE NATURALIST, VOL. 2, PAGE 2. » 



THE MOLE. 



That the Mole is without eyes or sight, I deny. 



That any individual specimens, on the examination of which Mr. Smee 

 grounds his assertion may have been eyeless, I do not deny, having no proofs; 

 but that Moles in general are blind I deny, and that flatly. 



In the first place I do not understand why Nature, beneficent and thoughtful, 

 has given the animal eyes, as she has done, if those eyes are to be of no 

 use. Virgil talks of blind Moles, — ^^Oculis capti fodere cubilia Talp^;" and 

 Shakspere also, "That the blind Mole, etc., etc.: but to poets we allow 

 licenses; to naturalists, none. Virgil was a good farmer, and understood bees; 

 but he seems to have known little of the Mole more than that it sometimes 

 disfigured his lawn, and turned up Mole-hills in his meadows, to the detriment 

 of the scythe's edge at mowing time. Shakspere too was a splendid fellow — 

 a heart of gold — and as long as he kept himself to the description of human 

 eyes, he was correct. He tells us of the violets being "sweeter than the lids of 

 Juno's eyes;" gives the old King Hamlet ^'^An eye like Mars;" and to the 

 excellent Desdemona ^^An inviting eye." "What an eye she has!" says the 

 devil lago. So far, good : but let us yield him his prerogative as poet in the 

 matter of the Mole's blindness. 



The eyes of the Mole, which are dark, minute, deeply set in the fur, and 

 as brilliant as diamonds, answer fully the ends for which they were created. 

 Taking into consideration his subterranean mode of living, it is evident that 

 ordinary eyes would be obnoxious to inconveniences arising from earthy par- 

 ticles disturbed in his travelling operations. Therefore he has extra-ordinary 

 eyes, set well back in the fur, and thus beautifully guarded from falling 

 particles likely to enter the eye. 



The senses of hearing and touch are exceedingly keen and well defined in 

 the Mole. I have proved both in wild nature on several occasions. 



I will allow want of eyes to the Mole examined by Mr. Smee, because I have 

 no reason to doubt his statements; but that all Moles lack eyes or eyesight, 

 I utterly scout and deny. Also, I will believe with Mr. Davies ^Hhat the range 

 of vision in the Mole is very limited." His habits do not require a very 

 extended range oi, sight: of what use would such a faculty be to him? 



