i6 Adams, On the Mole {Talpa eiiropced). 



new nests are generally built on the top of the others, 

 but not invariably {Fig- i6). The material of an old 

 nest is never used to make a new one, but fresh grass 

 and leaves are brought from outside. I fancy that in 

 such cases the same mole returns to his former fortress. 



Cadet de Vaux says, on the authority of Le Court, 

 and all the text books have copied him more or less 

 literally, " The mole places his habitation in the most 

 favourable spot in his cantonment ; he studies everything, 

 and never does he make a mistake except under circum- 

 stances which he has been unable to foresee, such as 

 continuance of rains, [or] a flood ; then he makes up his 

 mind promptly and establishes himself elsewhere. It 

 is by preference that he places his fortress in the 

 foundation of a wall, under a hedge, [or] at the foot of a 

 tree." 



Fig. 17. — Fortress in old tree trunk. 



Now, in the vast majority of cases the fortress is 

 placed in the open field and seldom in the situations 

 indicated above, though very occasionally I have found 

 fortresses in hedge banks, but only when a ditch ran 

 alongside ; and this partiality for the proximity of water 

 seems to determine the position of the fortress to a 

 certain extent. Now and then a fortress may be found 

 under a tree, but most probably the mole knows nothing 



