Star-nosed Mole 1143 



an hour, but then aroused himself and fell on the worms 

 with great demonstration, continually twiddling them with his 

 22 nose-fingers. Though avid, he ate them slowly, holding 

 them with his fore-claws and tearing them up before devouring. 

 In half an hour all were gone. This was at noon; at 1:45 

 he seemed ravenous again. I gave him a similar amount of 

 worms, also 3 cutworm 

 grubs; these latter he 

 ignored while the former 

 lasted. Towards night 



1 gave the Mole about 



2 ounces of raw beef, of 

 which ^ only was lean, 



the rest fat. In the Fig. .63-Scatolcgy of sear-nosed Mot 



morning all the lean was eaten and all the fat rejected. 

 Now a newly killed Deer-mouse was offered to him. He 

 sprang on this with much demonstration and little effect. 

 After twiddling it all over, he began on the eyes and then ate 

 the brains where the head had been crushed by the trap, turn- 

 ing back the skin. By next morning the Deer-mouse (it weighed 

 more than the Mole) was devoured, except the skin, which was 

 neatly turned inside out, and the bones — even the smallest 

 ribs were left intact and quite clean. During the previous 

 evening he ate also 8 grammes of worms. I found, however, 

 that he preferred the large fat white grubs that are found under 

 manure piles {Lachnosterna fusca); for these he neglected 

 both worms and Mouse. A large blue wasp he would not 

 touch; also a stag-beetle and he lived amicably together till 

 the end. He refused several kinds of farinaceous food. 



During the second night he escaped. I was awakened in voice, 

 my room (one flight down) by hearing the patter of small feet ^^^ 

 on the floor; as I stood near the window the sound came 

 towards me and I felt a furry creature pushing under my naked 

 instep. I stooped and seized it in the dark; a strong musky 

 smell and a faint husky squeak informed me that I had re- 

 captured my Star-nose. This was the only time I heard him 



