390 FOUR-FOOTED AMERICANS 



" Let us begin with the Insect-eaters and go under- 

 ground to Moletown. Tliis tribe has a great many 

 different colonies scattered all over the earth, but the 

 residents of ^loletown, that you are likely to see, will be 

 the Shrews or the Moles themselves. You would never 

 know by mere sight that these stupid-looking, mouse- 

 colored animals, with round, furr}^ bodies, small eyes, 

 and various kinds of shovel claws, belonged so high up 

 in the INIammal tree, but tlie Wise Men have placed 

 them there because of their s/^ec/^r features, some of 

 Avhich you could not possibly understand, 



" That the Mole was made to tunnel in the ground 

 and live in the dark, you can see for yourselves very 

 easily. Take this picture and notice how strong and 

 powerful tlie head and fore parts of the body are com- 

 pared to the small liind legs. The arms are fastened 

 close to the sliort neck to take up as little side room as 

 possible in burrowing, Avhile the hands are broad, lieavy 

 shovels, flesh-colored inside and edo-ed with five sliort 

 fingers. The pink nose is pointed and very sensitive, 

 the eyes small and so protected with skin that many 

 people think them wholly blind. The fur is short, soft, 

 of a beautiful silvery ash gray, darkening to lead color." 



" I remember the fur," said Dodo, " and how badly it 

 made my fingers smell wlien I tried to sew it, and you 

 said the smell protected the Mole. Do all the people 

 in jNIoletown have this smell. Uncle Roy ? " 



"Yes, our Moles and Shrews are so perfumed that 

 onl}^ a very liungry fourfoot will eat them, but Hawks 

 and Owls are not so particular. 



" The Mole that you have often seen this summer 

 is the common species. He has a cousin hereabouts, 



