NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



Moles invariably burrow from a couple of inches 

 to half a foot beneath the ground, as they are well 

 aware the insect life on which they subsist abounds 

 near the surface. The beneficial earthworm when 

 disturbed retires down to the bottom of its burrow ; 

 and if this worm constituted the Mole's chief food, 

 it would also be found burrowing deep into the 

 soil, and preferring uncultivated fields. 



The various insect-eating birds of this country, 

 which parents so foolishly allow their sons and 

 native servants to destroy, are the natural enemies 

 of armies of insects which are a pest to man. 

 These birds wage warfare upon the insect hosts 

 above and on the ground, while our little friend 

 the Mole attacks them underground in the egg 

 and grub stage of development. Here we have 

 an instance of how wonderfully the Creator 

 maintains the balance of Nature. Insects breed 

 and multiply with remarkable rapidity, and it is 

 necessary that they shall be encompassed by many 

 enemies ; therefore let Man pause before raising 

 his hand against any living creature. Man should 

 have a good and sufficient reason for all he does, 

 and the lives of the creatures of mountain, veld, 

 forest and stream should not be wilfully and wan- 

 tonly taken merely to gratify a destructive instinct 

 which has been handed down from our palaeolithic 

 ancestors, and which we should ere this have 

 overcome. 



In devouring insects we have seen the Mole is 



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