54 Order INSECTIVORA 



is probably distasteful because of a secretion from its skin 

 glands. Cats are known to catch moles but to refuse to eat 

 them. 



Signs. — An unweathered mole hill or mound, fig. 6, is so dif- 

 ferent from other animal diggings that it is not easily mistaken. 

 It resembles the mound made by a pocket gopher, fig. 7, in that 

 no hole shows if the animal is in its burrow; however, much 

 more of the earth of the mole hill is in larger lumps or clods. 

 The dirt plugging the hole is pushed out by each new load thrust 

 up under it until a steep-sided pile, usually less than a foot 

 across and about 5 or 6 inches deep, has been formed. 



During the summer, freshly made hills are relatively uncom- 

 mon, and the presence of moles is usually detected by ridges, 

 5 to 8 inches in width, of broken surface soil or torn sod. 



Distribution. — The eastern mole is common over most of 

 Illinois but uncommon in the extreme northeastern counties. 

 The subspecies in Illinois is Seal opus aquaticus machrinus (Ra- 

 flnesque), sometimes called the prairie mole. The species occurs 

 from southern New England to central Minnesota and north- 

 eastern Colorado and south to northern Mexico and southern 

 Florida. 



CONDYLURA CRISTATA (Linnaeus) 

 Star-Nosed Mole 



This species has been reported from Illinois on the basis of 

 sight records, but to date no specimens of it from this state have 

 been captured and preserved. It seems best, therefore, to omit 

 the name of this species from the list of Illinois mammals until 

 proof of its occurrence here is established. The star-nosed mole 

 is northeastern in distribution; the records nearest Illinois are 

 from Wisconsin, Michigan, and eastern Indiana. Specimens 

 may be identified by the characters given in the key to insec- 

 tivores. 



SOREX CINEREUS Kerr 



Masked Shrew 



Description. — The masked shrew, fig. 46, is frequently mis- 

 taken for a young mouse but, unlike the mouse, it has a fine, 

 velvety fur, sharp conical muzzle, minute eyes, and pincer-like 



