The Loves of the Moles. 217 



Will be seen, surrounded by dotted lines ; the transverse line, C, 

 cuts across this field of battle, where the strife begins, by the 

 most violent attacks, and continues till an end is put to it, by 

 the retreat, and, sometimes, by the death of the conquered. 

 The two rivals, before commencing the fight, enlarge the part of 

 the gallery where they are met. The victory is decided in 

 favour of him who first wounds his adversary before the ear ; a 

 wound which is mortal if it comprize the artery which accom- 

 panies the course of the trifacial nerve. 



" The female, during the action, is shut up in the bridal gallery, 

 so as to be unable to escape ; for which purpose, however, she 

 uses all her resources in digging, and attempts to get away by the 

 passages which she opens at the sides, marked j, k, I, n, o, in the 

 plate. But the conqueror hastens to rejoin his faithless mate, and 

 to bring her back into his galleries. This manoeuvre is repeated 

 many times, as often as other males enter the lists. The time, 

 however, soon arrives when the superiority of the conqueror is 

 recognized ; and from thence he has only to occupy himself with 

 his mate, who becomes more docile. The pair work together, 

 and finish the galleries, as figured in the plate ; after which 

 the female digs alone for food. 



" After the galleries have been formed, as at o, r, and 5, the 

 male conducts his mate to the point marked v. From this time, 

 the female no longer digs in the solid earth, but towards the 

 surface. She advances by merely separating the roots of the 

 grass. Returning to the gallery, she is driven back by the male 

 towards the branches, y, y, y, y, which go off from this point. 

 At the extremity of the tracks, copulation has been several 

 times attempted, and is at last accomplished at one of these 

 points ; for then the female, weary and annoyed by the increased 

 light, ceases all resistance- Henri Le Court has passed many 

 nights observing the habits of the moles during their amours ; 

 and he states, that copulation takes place an hour after sunrise. 



" This narrative, and the explanation of the different windings 

 represented in the plate, are given on the evidence of this clever 

 observer, who, in March, 1825, communicated to me the fruits 

 of his long experience ; and he remarked, that no ground had 

 before offered him so favourable an opportunity for observation 

 as that which had served for our investigations. 



" The breeding chamber, or the nest, is not always surmounted 

 by an external mound ; when it is, its hillock is distinguished by 

 being four times the size of the common hillocks, and by its form 

 being neither flat nor pyramidal, but similar to a reversed 

 wooden bowl. 



" The female mole, which constructs the nest, merely enlarges 

 one of the crossways, formed by the junction of three or four 

 roads. The letter b shews this nest in its relation with the 

 gallery traced by the male, and e, a deserted nest of the prece- 

 ding year. At B and E, are separate and magnified representa- 

 tions of the nests, to give an idea of their form. 



VOL. III. 2 E 



