1902 Moles 113 



field in question, replied, "Why, it's a rare close for nunkey- 

 tumps." " My good man," inquired the barrister, "what on 

 earth do you mean by ' nunkey-tumps ' ? " " Why," said 

 the old fellow, "tumps made by nunkeys, for sure" — and 

 this was all the information that could be got out of him 

 until some one acquainted with the dialect explained 

 matters. 



Moles can swim well if necessary, and in flood-time may 

 often be seen making their way from one mound to another ; 

 and I have known them take a dive into a stream and enjoy 

 a swim of their own accord. 



They are preyed upon by foxes, stoats, owls, and occasion- 

 ally, I believe, by the badger and the rat ; but I believe that 

 it is but rarely that the weasel will take them. Weasels are 

 taken at times in the mole-traps, but they are generally 

 pursuing field-mice, which use the runs or galleries of 

 moles a good deal. 



One often hears the question discussed as to whether 

 moles do much damage to the land or not. The verdict 

 is usually given against them, but except where they are 

 in great numbers I believe they do good. They help to 

 drain the land, and they rid it of many noxious grubs and 

 insects ; and if the earth constituting the mole-hills were 

 only spread about the ground, it would also help to manure 

 it. When in great numbers, of course they do a con- 

 siderable amount of damage. The meadows are defaced, 

 the growing corn is uprooted, and the young turnips 

 amongst which the moles have been working die away 

 in a hot sun from having the soil at their roots loosened. 



In the summer, moles may often be found above-ground, 

 and during the warmer months their runs are frequently 

 close to the surface. In the cold weather their prey — 

 worms, &c. — go deeper down into the ground and the 

 moles follow. 



The wonderful spade-like forefeet of the mole, with their 

 powerful muscles and ligaments, are most admirably adapted 

 for their life under-ground. They have the sense of hear- 

 ing most wonderfully developed, — the slightest noise or the 

 vibration from a footfall, and they are off at once. It is 

 generally admitted that the mole can see but imperfectly. 



