114'2 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



His fur, previously rough and ill-kempt, was left beauti- 

 fully velvety by this operation. 



NON- Of course the species is non-liibernant and is often 



NANT captured during its very active winter life. 



Merriam mentions^^ having seen it travelling over the deep 

 snow in March; when so discovered, it tries to dive down out 

 of sight, and readily does so, unless a hard crust bars the way. 



TUNNELS Its manner of tunnelling and heaving up hills is precisely 



like that of the Pocket-gopher, in whose biography the subject 

 is fully treated. 



When the Star-nose dwells in or crosses dry ground, it 

 seems not easy to distinguish its work from that of other Moles; 

 both are marked by hills, large and small, on crooked galleries, 

 that sometimes go below, and sometimes so near the top as to 

 be ridges of loose earth. But in certain kinds of country it 

 can live and leave behind no trace of excavation. 



An interesting circumstance is recorded by Miller.'" At 

 Peninsula Harbor, Ont., in early October, he found the remains 

 of a Star-nose in the stomach of a rough-legged hawk. 



A similar record appears in "Fisher's Report on the Food 

 of Hawks and Owls."" 



A screech owl, taken at Washington, D. C, on June 2, 

 1889, had in its stomach a Mole of the present species. 

 FOOD Commenting on its food, Rhoads says:'* "As the boggy 



nature of its haunts is distasteful to earthworms and other 

 animals on which the upland Moles subsist, we must conclude 

 that these form but a small part of its diet, but the numerous 

 aquatic and subaquatic insects and crustaceans which har- 

 bour in wet meadows and stream banks would form bountiful 

 supply." 



As soon as the above-named captive was caged I gave 

 him 12 grammes of common v/orms. He paid no heed for half 



" Mam. Adir., 1884, p. 152. '" Mam. Ont., 1897, p. 39. 



"Bull. 3, 1893, U. S. Dep. Agr., p. 171. 

 "Mam. Penna., 1903, p. 207. 



