MOLE. 231 



the organ. What is gained by the largeness or 

 prominence of the globe of the eye, is width in the 

 field of vision. Such a capacity would be of no use to 

 an animal which was to seek its food in the dark. The 

 Mole did not want to look about it ; nor would a large 

 advanced eye have been easily defended from the 

 annoyance to which the life of the animal must con- 

 stantly expose it. How, indeed, was the Mole, working 

 its way under ground, to guard its eyes at all? In 

 order to meet this difficulty, the eyes are made scarcelj' 

 larger than the head of a corking pin ; and these minute 

 globules are sunk so deeply in the skull, and lie so 

 sheltered within the velvet of its covering, as that any 

 contraction of what we may call the eyebrows not only 

 closes up the apertures which lead to the eyes, but 

 present a cushion, as it were, to any sharp or pro- 

 truding substance which might push against them. This 

 aperture, even in its ordinary state, is like a pin-hole in 

 a piece of velvet, scarcely pervious to loose particles of 

 earth." 



EUSSIAN MUSK-EAT OE DESMAN. 



^hjogalc moschata. 



German : Eussicher Bisamratte. 



This small animal is chiefly conspicuous by its long 

 proboscis. It is aquatic, living in holes in the banks 

 of rivers. It is also called the Wuychuchol, and the 

 Musk-shrew. The length of the body is about 5 inches, 

 not including the tail, which is about another 4 inches. 

 The fur is short, very fine and soft, and of a dark 

 purplish-brown colour on the back. It is a beautiful 



