Matichester Memoirs, Vol. xlvii. (1903). No. 4. 



IV. A Contribution to our Knowledge of the Mole 

 (Talpa europaea). 



By Lionel E. Adams, B.A. 



(Commti7iicattd by IV. E. Hoyle, M.A., F.R.S.E.) 

 Received November iiih. Read November i8th, rgos. 



Perhaps the habits of no land quadruped are so 

 difficult to observe as those of the mole. Since the time 

 of Le Court, very few people seem to have attempted to 

 study the habits of this interesting animal, or, at any rate, 

 to have recorded their observations. 



The present paper is written in the hope that some 

 other naturalists, with more time and opportunity than I 

 can command, will take up this most interesting study 

 and solve some of the remaining puzzles. Except when 

 otherwise stated, my work has been carried on within a 

 few miles of Stafford, and has extended over the last 

 four years. The figures are selections from my field 

 note-book. 



Since the time when Aristotle described the mole, no 

 one seems to have studied its habits till Le Court set up 

 as a scientific mole-catcher in France about 1798. He 

 imparted his knowledge to Cadet de Vaux, who in 1803 

 published the information thus gained in a small work 

 entitled, " De la Taupe, de ses mosurs, de ses habitudes, 

 et des moyens de la detruire." This work is extremely 

 interesting, and is on the whole a trustworthy record of 



January ijth, iQOj. 



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