THE COMMON MOLE, MOLDWARP OR WANT 15 



The anterior extremities are admirably constructed for the 

 purpose of progression through the soil, while the hind legs are 

 employed in such acts of running or walking as are insepar- 

 able even from a miner's existence. The snout is a very 

 important organ, being employed either in acts of prehension, 

 or as the sensitive guide to assist the hands when boring ; it is 

 also the seat of what is probably the most highly developed 

 sense the Mole possesses, that of smell. The sense of sight, so 

 important to most animals, would in the present case be useless, 

 at least during by far the greater portion of its existence ; and 

 hence we find that it Is reduced to its minimum of development, 

 and sacrificed, as it were, to the necessary pre-eminence of that 

 of smell. There can, indeed, be no doubt that to the latter 

 sense the Mole is indebted for the perception of its food, of its 

 enemies, and of its mate ; indeed, Mr J. L. Bonhote informs 

 me that a captive in his possession could always detect worms 

 placed at the other side of a wooden partition in its box. At 

 the same time, it appears to be much assisted by the sense of 

 hearing, which, although without the usual aid of an external 

 conch, is certainly very acute. Shakespeare was not unmindful 

 of this fact : — 



" Pray you, tread softly, that the blind mole may not 

 Hear a footfall : " 



— The Tempest, IV., i, 194. 



The interesting question whether the Common Mole pos- 

 sesses true vision, has long been discussed amongst naturalists, 

 whose opinions have no doubt been at times confused by 

 the existence of more than one European species of the genus. 

 The eyes of Savi's Mole,^ which replaces our own in parts 

 of the south of Europe, have no external opening, a fact which 

 is probably responsible for Aristotle's declaration that the Mole 

 is absolutely blind. The eyes of the Common Mole are, how- 

 ever, at least in England, provided with an aperture admitting 

 the entrance of light, and the actual eyeballs and lenses, 

 although very small, are both present and capable of use. 

 This was shown long ago by Geoffroy, and more recently by 



1 T. c(Bca, Savi. 



