Mole-shrew 1133 



once proceeded to eat out its eyes, and by four o'clock next 

 afternoon one side of the rat's head, bone together with the 

 brains, were eaten, and, strange to say, the Mole looked no 

 larger. * * * Our curiosity was aroused to know by what 

 means a Mole or Shrew could kill Mice which were larger than 

 itself; so four large Meadow-mice being procured, they were 

 placed in the boiler with the Mole, which as soon as it met a 

 Mouse showed fight, but the Mouse knocked it away with its 

 front feet and leaped as far away as it could. The Mole from 

 the first seemed not to see very plainly and started around the 

 boiler at a lively rate, reaching and scenting in all directions 

 with its long nose, like a pig that has broken into a backyard 

 and smells the swill-barrel. The Mice seemed terror-stricken, 

 momentarily rising on their hind-legs, looking for some place 

 to escape, leaping about, squeaking in their efforts to keep out 

 of the way of the Mole, which pursued them constantly. The 

 Mole's mode of attack was to seize the Mouse in the region 

 of the throat. This it did by turning its head as it sprang at 

 the Mouse, at the same time uttering a chattering sound. The 

 Mice would strike at and usually knock the Mole away with 

 their front feet, but if the latter got a hold of the Mouse it 

 would then try to bite, and they would both tumble about like 

 dogs in a fight. The little chap at last attacked one Mouse 

 and kept with it, and in about ten minutes had it killed; but 

 even before it was dead the Mole commenced eating its eyes 

 and face. About ten minutes later the Mole had devoured all 

 the head of the Mouse and continued to eat. I have captured 

 and caged several Moles this winter, and they all display the 

 same untiring greedy nature. According to my observation, 

 the little mammal under consideration eats about twice or 

 three times its own weight of food every twenty-four hours, and 

 when we consider that their principal food consists of insects, 

 it is quite bewildering to imagine the myriads one must destroy 

 in a year.'" 



Dr, Merriam repeated these experiments and found that 

 a small Blarina weighing 11.20 grammes could tire out and 

 overcome a vigorous male Deer-mouse weighing 17 grammes. 



