216 The L<yves of the Moles, 



surface of the ground. The galleries communicate by five passages, 

 at equal distances ; and the superior gallery terminates at the top 

 of the bed, by three roads. The bed or the chamber which the 

 mole inhabits, is the circular part, surrounded by a dotted Hne, 

 and marked g. An opening, t, is found at its base. This is the 

 entrance to a road of safety, in case of attack; and is generally 

 guarded by a quantity of grass. In order that the burrows 

 under the hillock may acquire the greatest possible firmness, 

 the mole opens many other blind passages, the sides of which 

 it smooths down with its soft hair, and the pressure of its body. 

 These passages are, moreover, like so many advanced guards ; 

 for the first being broken into, the tumbling in of their internal 

 walls becomes a subject of alarm. By this signal, which falls 

 like a thunder clap, on these profound and peaceful solitudes, 

 the mole is awaked, if asleep, and, taking fright, hides itself 

 under the heap of grass, or escapes by its passage of safety. 



" The dotted line, C, in the plate, divides the old encampment, 

 in which the mole has been lodged during winter, from the new 

 galleries wrought by the male mole, under the guidance of the 

 instinct of pairing. The place where these observations were 

 conducted was in a meadow, at a short distance from Pontoise, 

 above, and a little to the right of the river. The meadow was 

 scarcely yet freed from the winter's snow, and the pools of 

 water. The male mole, which had taken possession of thig; 

 seat of operations, had come to a considerable distance from its 

 winter quarters, which were in an elevated fallow field. I shall 

 suppose, for the sake of precision, what is often, but not always 

 the case, that the first individual established in the meadow was 

 the conqueror of his rivals, and the exclusive possessor of the 

 property. 



" Arrived at the meadow, our mole, guided by the instinct of 

 love, advances to C,' and finds the gallery terminating there. 

 The earth is light, and easily penetrated. To gain speed, he 

 does not collect the earth, but throws up the refuse in hillocks, 

 which are marked in the plate by the little dotted circles along 

 the lines. Eight days suffice for the formation of the galleries, 

 and for effecting the object of these labours. These galleries 

 are, however, only opened gradually, and as they are wanted. 



" As soon as the work is terminated, the male returns tp 

 his former quarters in search of a mate ; and, having found one, 

 brings her along with him. This journey to the old winter 

 quarters, however, arouses other males, which follow in the tracjc 

 of the couple on their way to the meadow. Our male, which, 

 for the sake of distinction, I may call the bridegroom, since, 

 in the given hypothesis, he must become so, commences by 

 shutting up his female in the bridal gallery, of which he has 

 yet only dug out a part : he then returns to the opening, to 

 prevent the entrance of his rivals, and keeps them at a little 

 distance from the old encampment. In the figure, this place 



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