Clifton College Scientific Society. 11 



thanks to the lecturer (proposed by the Eev. T. E. Brown, and 

 seconded by E. Ward Jackson, Esq.) concluded the proceedings 

 of the evening. 



MEETING, March 10, 1871. 

 The Peesident in the Chair. 



The fourth meeting for the term was held on 10th March. 

 There were sixty members and visitors present. 



The President announced that the Committee had elected John 

 Perky, Esq., B.E., and the Rev. H. N. Ellacombe, M.A., of 

 Bitton, Honorary Members. He then, in a short speech, men- 

 tioned the loss the Society had sustained by the death of Dr 

 Symonds, an Honorary Member. 



D. Pearce read the following paper on ' The Mole,' illustrating 

 the subject with specimens and diagrams : — 



The mole is, I think, the most interesting of all our burrowing 

 mammalia. It belongs to the genus Talpa, which consists of two 

 species only, viz., Talpa Eiiroiiea and Talpa Asiatica. Its inter- 

 esting character lies not in its merely burrowing a passage, like 

 the rabbit and many other burrowing mammals, but in its making 

 a most complicated and intricate subterranean dwelling. This 

 consists of a high-road and numerous branching passages, imder- 

 mining an enormous space of ground, when one considers the size 

 of the animal in question. I will first proceed to give a general 

 notion of the common mole. It is from five to six inches long, 

 including the tail, the body being very thick and almost cylindri- 

 cal, and fhe head prolonged into a pointed muzzle, which projects 

 considerably beyond the jaws of the animal. This muzzle is, of 

 course, very strong and muscular, else it would not be suited for 

 its laborious life. The mole's ears are not external, but still its 

 hearing is most acute ; a fact which can be easily shown by 

 walking over the ground or causing any sudden vibration to the 

 earth. If this be done, the mole will very soon be seen to change 

 the direction of its burrow, or suddenly cease throwing up earth, 

 if employed in making a hill. The eyes of the mole are very 

 minute and almost imperceptible; this fact also shows how admir- 

 ably the structure of the little animal is adapted to its mode of 

 life. The front feet project very little from the body, but they 

 are nevertheless very stout and strong, while the hind feet are 

 much weaker. I will now proceed to speak of its subterranean 



