THE COMMON MOLE, MOLDWARP OR WANT 29 



has brought the earthworms to the surface, it follows them, 

 and pursues its chase along the superficial layer of the 

 soil, digging a shallow continuous trench, in which work it 

 advances with great rapidity. This is done by merely forcing 

 its way through the light soil, and thus lifting it up ; at such 

 times the mole-catcher steals softly upon it and throws it out 

 of the ground with his paddle. But great quickness is necessary 

 in doing this, for a mole will bury itself again so rapidly as 

 often to escape, even when fairly thrown on to the surface. 

 In these shallow surface-runs the soil falls away on each 

 side, leaving the creature's back exposed to view. There is 

 no evidence to connect such runs with the gravid female or 

 with the breeding of the animals ; they owe their existence 

 rather to the position of worms and grubs and the wetness 

 of the soil. Mr Evans informs me that he has seen and 

 captured a mole when burrowing amongst dead beech leaves, 

 a favourite habitat for certain kinds of worms. 



In summer the Mole works hard and continuously, and its 

 tell-tale upheaving of soil may be seen at every hour of the day.^ 

 Yet its work is often less conspicuous than in winter, probably 

 because worms are more easily caught and the need of new 

 tunnels to secure them is, therefore, not pressing. In fact, the 

 multitudes of worms on the surface in their pairing season are 

 alone worth hunting, so that the runs are often deserted and the 

 easier pursuit taken up above ground. The animal's thirst, too, 

 must be satisfied when water is scarce. This is the time when 

 its diet is most varied, slugs and snails being frequently 

 captured, with an occasional vertebrate ; but the tables are 

 sometimes turned and the Mole itself killed and eaten, especially 

 when it neglects to get below ground before daybreak. 



Occasionally a mole's tracks are seen on snow. They 

 resemble the impression that might be made by a rope two 

 and a half inches in diameter dragged along the surface, 

 with the marks made by the hind feet and the claws of 

 the fore feet sometimes visible, to indicate the direction. 

 Such wanderings may be due to movements of worms, 

 in consequence of the hardness of the soil, but certainly not 

 directly to the state of the ground, since Mr Evans has 



' E. D. Cuming, Arcadian Calendar^ 17. 

 VOL. II. C 2 



