The Mole 



gives the animal's coat its lustre arises from the fur 

 being vertical, and when touched by the hand it can 

 be pressed in either direction, and yet retain its general 

 soft appearance. Regarding the formation of the fore- 

 arms, these are admirably adapted to the creature's 

 mode of life. The Mole owns an extremely muscular 

 muzzle, with which it bores into the soil, and the arms 

 clear away the slackened earth as the animal carves its 

 way underground. 



The Mole is not blind, as might be surmised by the 

 ordinary observer, although its eyes are very tiny, and 

 almost covered by the creature's fur. So tiny, indeed, 

 are these openings that the bony cavity in the skull 

 scarcely indicates their presence. Still, the Mole is by 

 no means blind, as may be seen when it romps above 

 ground, as it sometimes does during a warm summer 

 evening. Apart from the external features named, the 

 body of the animal is uniquely formed. Running 

 directly from the point of the nose backwards to the 

 last rib-bone, the shape is cone-like, and is thus 

 admirably formed for movement underground. The 

 forearms have strong broad hands, which tend out- 

 wards, and are so placed that they act as dredges while 

 the animal cuts its way through the earth. Moles 

 have no external ears. The tail is nearly 2 inches long, 

 and the total length of the animal is about 7 inches. 

 The colour of the fur varies very much: black and 

 blue, in dark and pale shades, to a warm buff may 

 occasionally be seen, dark blue being the more common ; 



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