48 INSECTIVORA. 



Talpa Europaea. 



Talpa Eiirop(sa, Desm. Mamm. Sp. 250. 

 Talpa vulgaris, Bell, Brit. Quad. 

 The Common Mole. 



Description". — Body thick, oblong, almost cyliudrical ; snout 

 sharp and slender. The teeth are sharp -pointed ; incisoi-s 

 veiy small ; canines long and very sharp ; false molars 

 ^~^ , like the canines, but much smaller ; the true molars 



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broad, with several sharp tubercles ; eyes extremely small, 

 concealed in the fur ; feet very short ; fore-feet largest, 

 inclining sideways. Fur veiy soft and silky, black, in some 

 light ashy grey : spotted, white, and yellow varieties are 

 not uncommon. 



Length of head and body, 5 inches 3 lines ; head, 1 inch 

 7 lines ; tail, 1 inch 2 Knes. 



Lives underground, forming galleries and throwing up 

 hillocks ; feeds on worms and insects ; breeds twice in the 

 year, producing from four to six at a birth. 



Common in England and Scotland, but unknown in Ire- 

 land. Found in nearly all the countries of Europe, all 

 over Russia and France. In Italy it scarcely goes south of 

 Lombardy, where it gives place to the next species. 



Talpa cseca . 



Talpa ccBca, Buon. Faun. Ital. (figured) ; Gteopfroy, St. Hilaire. 



Description. — This Mole, which was first distinguished by 

 Professor Sa\d, and is well described and figured by the 

 Prince of Musignano in his 'Iconografia della Fauna Italica,' 

 differs from the common species in having the eyes con- 

 cealed beneath the skin, which, instead of opening ])y 

 means of eyelids or otherwise, is spread continuously over 

 the organs of sight ; its structure, however, is so thin, that 



