1900-1901. | The Mole. 153 
an axiom that the deeper the runs the fewer and larger are the 
mole-hills. This is evidently to save shafts to the surface. 
These shafts are not necessarily perpendicular to the runs. 
In the case of a slope they may be parallel. In making these 
shafts to the surface the mole is guided by the nature of the 
soil, both as to their number and direction. Another feature 
is that the runs always continue past the last mole-hill. 
In its manner of eating the mole is epicurean. Having 
caught the worm, it immediately makes for the tail, cuts 
a bit off, and returns to the head. Then holding the worm 
between its paws, it proceeds to eat, cleaning its victim at 
the same time by the pressure of the forepaws. Nor does it 
forget the piece cut off. We experimented on this several 
times by giving the mole the worm by the head. If you 
put a stick into ground where there are worm-castings and 
heave the soil, you will very soon see worms coming to the 
surface. The explanation of this may be that the worm is 
trying to escape from its natural enemy. The mole, from 
its sense of smell, has found this out. And occasionally after 
burrowing it proceeds to the surface, with the view of allevi- 
ating the perturbation of the worms ! 
It is sometimes said that moles make for water, but this 
seems erroneous. Worms dwell in moist soil, and feeding on 
them one can well imagine would not necessitate thirst. 
The voracity of the mole is so great that it cannot live 
many hours without food. In view of this it is thought that 
having gorged itself it falls asleep and in a little time awakes 
to repeat its diet, not distinguishing between day and night, 
summer or winter. Mr Alexander M‘Leish, mole-catcher, 
Corstorphine, a most observant naturalist, informs me that 
twice he has observed the mole carrying worms along its run, 
drawing them backwards, most likely to form stores, as one 
would think one place would do as well as another for eating. 
On half-a-dozen occasions he found hoards of worms in 
their runs in considerable quantities, say as large as a 
man’s fist. These worms do not seem to have power to 
depart, and bear every appearance of having been paralysed. 
The mole-hills seen over the country-side are not to be 
mistaken for the mole’s nest. As has been already said, they 
are formed by the soil ejected at the shafts. The nest is 
