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V. 



ALBINO MOLES IX HERTFORDSHIRE. 



By A. E. GiBBs, F.L.S., F.E.H.S. 



Read at Watford, 2nd April, 1906. 



On the 23rd of March, 1906, Mr. T. Fowell Buxtou, of 

 Easneje, informed me that white moles had been taken on the 

 Waters Place Farm, near Ware. They were white all over, 

 slightly tinged with yellow. A similar albino mole was killed on 

 the same farm many years ago. 



Shortly afterwards Mr. J. P. Sambels, of Cole G-reen, sent two 

 specimens to the Hertfordshire County Museum for preservation, 

 one of which I am able to exhibit to-night. 



On applying to Mr. Sam])els for further particulars, he kindly 

 sent to me the following interesting notes on the suT)ject : — 



" The neighbourhood of Cole Creen and Panshanger has long 

 been noted for ' white ' moles, specimens having been trapped 

 from time to time, often at intervals of years. One preserved 

 specimen in the possession of a cottager was taken some fifty or 

 sixty years ago. About 8 or 9 years ago another cottager caught 

 a very fine specimen, but although I have year by year since 

 then offered a reward for a specimen, none has, I believe, been 

 caught in the neighliourhood until last spring. 



" This year they appear to have been abnormally plentiful. 

 The first to be captured was at Bayfordbury, on the ridge south 

 of the Lea, but when taken to Mr. H. Clinton Baker it was 

 too stale for preservation. The next to be captm-ed was in 

 Woolmers Park, about a quarter of a mile from Cole Green 

 Station. This was sent to Mr. K. T. Andrews for his museum 

 at Hertford. About a fortnight later two were trapped very 

 near the same spot and brought to me. One of these is now in 

 the Hertfordshire County Museum and the other is at the 

 Watford Public Library. Three days later another was caught 

 and given to a naturalist by Mr. Wodehouse. Thus four 

 specimens were trapped very near each other at Woolmers within 

 about a month. About the same time two specimens were taken 

 at Easneye, which is about five miles distant from Bayfordbury 

 and about seven miles from Panshanger, Cole Green, and 

 Woolmers." 



Trans. Hertfordshire Nat. Hist. Soc, Vol. XIII, Part 1, February, 1907. 



