V.—THE Srar-NOsED MOLE (Condylura cristata)—Its BREED- 
ING Habits, ETc.—By Watson L. BisHop, Dartmouth, N.S. 
(Read March 18th, 1901.) 
The Star-Nosed Mole occurs from Nova Scotia to Indiana and 
northward, but as far as Lam aware is not anywhere abundant. 
The soil where it is most commonly found is sedimentary 
and quite near to water. Intervale or meadow land is almost 
invariably selected as its place of abode. Insuch a locality, during 
the spring and autumn months, little mounds of black soil are 
thrown up in zig-zag rows marking the course of its subterra- 
nean roadways. 
To dig one of these little fellows out of the ground is no easy 
task, although the holes are quite easily foun} and readily 
followed ; there are so many angles and turns that one’s labours 
are seldom rewarded with as muchas a glimpse of the little 
creatures. 
On May 22nd, 1890, while having some apple trees planted, I 
had the good luck to find a nest containing four of the young. 
The locality where the nest was found was two miles south 
of Kentville in King’s County, Nova Scotia. The land had been 
cleared of small forest trees several years before and had grown 
up with grass and was mowed every year. 
The particular spot where the nest was found was a 
little hillock or eradlehill which had been formed appar- 
ently by a tree having been blown down. When the roots had 
rotted away a small dry mound of soft black sedimentary 
earth was formed, and in this the nest was built. This mound 
was high enough to be out of reach of storm-water during wet 
weather. 
The excavation containing the nest was ten inches below the 
surface, and was made in a ecireular form, seven inches in 
diameter. The nest was built of old dry grass, and was very 
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