MOLE FAMILY 



305 



earthworms and placed them one by one in the 

 cage. Apparently the Mole's power of scent is 

 nearly as weak as its eyesight, for it paid no 

 attention to the worms unless they were dropped 

 directly in the path it pursued about the edge 

 of the cage. When it actually ran its nose into 

 one, it ate it with astonishing greediness and in 

 a curiously piggish way, with a constant shaking 

 of the head, and shuffling the worm into its 

 mouth with the help of its hands, which it moved 

 in unison. It devoured ten worms before its 

 appetite began to flag. One very large one it 

 abandoned after cutting it into three pieces by 

 bites. I heard no noise of teeth, as described by 

 Audubon. A saucer of water was not noticed 



for some time ; finally it put its nose into it and 

 drank with the same motion of the head. It 

 then tipped up the saucer, spilled the water, and 

 then seemed to drink it oflf the board in a way 

 that reminded one of sponging out the bottom 

 of a boat. It continued the same operation on 

 the dry part of the board, as if it could not tell 

 where the water ended, except by feeling." 

 There was nothing nervous about the actions of 

 this Mole, and Mr. Allen estimated that the 

 creature's intelligence did not rise much above 

 " life, liberty, and the pursuit of earthworms." 

 Hawks and owls are among the enemies of the 

 Star-nosed Mole, but they must be on the alert, 

 in order to surprise it above ground. 



BREWER'S MOLE 



Parascalops breweri (Bachman) 



Other Name. — Hairy-tailed Mole. 



General Description. — A large Mole, with thick, 

 short and densely-haired tail ; nostrils simple and cres- 

 cent-shaped ; eyes and ears small ; limbs short ; fore 

 paws powerful. 



Dental Formula. — Same as Eastern Mole. 



Pelage. — General tone fuscous-black, slightly paler 

 and more grayish on under parts ; hairs on feet, and 

 usually on nose and tail, more brownish, often becom- 

 ing white in old adults ; throats and underparts some- 

 times stained with Dresden brown. 



Measurements. — Total length. 7 inches ; tail verte- 

 brae. 1.2 inches; hind foot, .8 inches. 



Range. — From mountains of North Carolina, West 

 Virginia, and southeastern Ohio, northeastward through 

 Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, to New 

 Brunswick. 



Food. — Insects and worms. 



Remarks. — Brewer's Mole is the only representative 

 of the genus Parascalops. The peculiar marks of this 

 genus are noted above. It is seldom found in the 

 haunts of the Common Mole. 



Brewer's Mole deserves special attention from 

 the fact that, like the Star-nosed and the Shrew 

 Moles, it has certain distinguishing marks which 

 place it in a class by itself. In habits, however, 

 it differs little if any from its cousins. 



It is found from southern New Brunswick to 

 the Appalachian Mountains, and as far south as 

 North Carolina. Curiously enough, although 

 dwelling in the immediate range of the Common 

 Mole, the two are seldom found together. 



Brewer's Mole, often called the Hairy-tailed 

 Mole, is a little under seven inches in length ; its 

 nostrils are crescentic, with concavity upward : 

 the tail is short, thick, and densely covered with 

 hair. This Mole is very difficult to trap, and little 

 is known concerning its breeding habits and 

 times of molting. Its general habits, as stated 

 above, are believed to be much the same as those 

 of the Common Mole. It subsists upon worms, 

 grubs and other insect food. 



SHREW MOLE 



Neurotrichus gibbsii ( Boird) 



General Description. — A very small Mole lacking 

 the wide fore feet. Head small ; snout elongate ; eyes 

 and ears minute ; body only moderately thick-set ; tail 

 fairly long, thick and hairy ; limbs short ; fore feet 

 somewhat expanded and larger than hind feet ; claws 

 long, acute, compressed: upper and under surface of 

 all feet covered with small plates ; nostrils simple. 



naked ; pelage soft but not so velvety as in the larger 

 Moles. 



Dental Formula.- 



3-i 



Incisors. 



3—i_ 



Canines, — - 

 I— I 



Pre- 



molars, ^-^ : Molars,:^— ^=36. 

 4—4 3—3 "■ 



Pelage. — Adults: Sexes identical: seasonal varia- 

 tion not conspicuous. Dark sooty-brown above, very 



