18 



The preceding table shows that 31 moles had eaten earthworms, 

 which formed 26 per cent, of the total food of the 56 specimens; 

 53 had eaten insects, amounting- to 62 per cent, of the total food, of 

 which 36 per cent, was insect larvae (contained in 47 stomachs), and 

 26 ]3er cent, was adult insects (in 42 stomachs). The 3 moles which 

 had eaten no insect food had taken earthworms, and one of them a 

 little grass. Vegetable matter was present in 28, to the amount of 

 II ])er cent, of the total food. Aljout i per cent, of the stomach con- 

 tents are classed as miscellaneous. This includes spiders, myriapods, 

 needles from a spruce tree, mole hair, and feathers, these various 

 items each occurring but once, except spiders, which were found twice. 



Before entering into further details it seems desirable to add a 

 table giving a summary exhibit of the situations where the tifty'-six 

 moles were taken, the numlier from each situation, and the number 

 of occurrences of the different kinds of food, classified in relaticMi to 

 situation. The table, page 19, although very imperfect, may serve 

 a useful purpose to those pursuing the subject later. 



DETAILS OF THE FOOD. 



Such kinds of their food as are quite generally distributed — 

 earthworms, some insect larwT, and adult insects, for example — are 

 very frec[uentlv and freel}- eaten by moles. This is evident in the 

 case of earthworms, white-grul>s (larvcT of Lacliiiostcnui and Cyclo- 

 ccpJiala), cutworms, wireworms, gTound-beetles and their larvre, and 

 the common brown ant. Fragments of at least 9 white-grubs were 

 present in one stomach ; and the bronzed, the W-marked, the glassy, 

 and the dingy cutworms were all identified. Among Carobidcr, the 

 following genera were distinguished: Fferos^tichiis, Agonodcrus, 

 Bciubid'niui, Harpalus, Platyiiiis, and Gcof^ijiiis. Ccopiiiiis iiicras- 

 satiis had been eaten by a mole in the sand region near Havana, Illi- 

 nois, where this insect is quite abundant. Other larvae prominent in 

 the food were sod web- worms and larvae of the banded Ips, each oc- 

 curring twice. One mole had eaten at least 18 sod web- worms, and 

 another at least 85 larvae of Ips qiiadrigiiftatus. May-beetles had 

 been eaten only by moles living- in sod in the months of May and 

 June. Whenever present they formed a large part of the contents, 

 and one stomach contained nothing else. The common corn-field ant, 

 Lasiiis niger omcricaiuis, was ])resent in several stomachs in large 

 numbers. The single mole taken in winter (January) had eaten no less 



