26 Curious Faét ’ 
water over the place, which will foon make the animal 
return upwards. 
People in general are not aware of. the great mifchief 
occafioned in fields and gardens by thefe animals. We are 
however informed by Buffon, that m the year 1740 he 
planted fifteen or fixteen acres of land with acorns, and that 
the greater part of them were in a little time carried away by 
the moles to their fubterranean retreats. In many of thefe 
there were found half a bufhel, and in others a bufhel. 
Buffon, after this circumftance, caufed a great number of 
iron traps to be conftructed, by which in lefs than three 
weeks he caught 1300. ‘To this inftance of the devaftation 
occafioned by thefe animals, we may add the following: In 
the year 1742 they were fo numerous in fome parts of 
Holland, that one farmer alone caught between five and fix 
‘thoufand of them. The deftruétion occafioned by thefe 
animals is however no new phenomenon. We are mformed 
by hiftory, that the inhabitants of the ifland of Tenedos, 
the Trojans, and the olians, were infefted by them in the 
earlieft ages. For this reafon a temple was ereéted~ to 
Apollo Smynthius, the deftroyer of moles. 
VII. A curious Fac in the Natural Hiflory of the common 
Mole, Talpa Europa Linn. By ArtHur Bruce, Ej/q. 
Secretary to the Natural Hiftory Society of Edinburgh. 
From Tranfactions of the Linnean Society, Vol. III. 1797. 
Tu AT the mole does, in common with other quadrupeds 
and man, poffefs that fpirit of curiofity which prompts to 
emigration and even to tranfmarine expeditions, [ found out 
laft — from the beft authenticated faéts. 
‘In yifiting the loch of Clunie, which I often did, I ob- 
Jerved in it a fmall ifland at the diftance of 180 yards from 
the neareft land, meafured to be fo upon the ice, Uponthe — 
ifland, 
“« st 
