THE CANADA SAND-RAT. 91 



The mole-rat is a native of Asia Minor, Syria, Meso- 

 potamia, and Southern Russia between the Tanais and 

 Volga. The Russians term it Slepez, or the blind ; and 

 the Cossacks, Sfochor Nomon, which has the same 

 meaning. It is generally supposed to be the aa-iraXa^ 

 (^Aspalax) of Aristotle ; but as a species of mole inha- 

 biting Europe {Talpa cceca) has the eyes also rudi- 

 mentary, this point is doubtful. In the mole-rat the 

 eye is a minute black grain lying beneath the skin, 

 which passes over it, and is besides covered with the fur; 

 it is evident that the sense of vision is denied to this 

 creature ; but by way of amends its internal organs of 

 hearing are largely developed, and the external orifice is 

 wide, though the conch of the ear is almost obsolete. 

 The mouth is small ; the tip of the nose is largely bare and 

 cartilaginous, with the nostrils wide apart and placed 

 below. The mole-rat has much of the manners of our com- 

 mon mole : it is gregarious, and its burrows are clustered 

 together. Rich level plains are its favourite localities. Its 

 burrows consist of galleries at a little distance below the 

 surface of the earth, which communicate with chambers 

 sunk to a greater depth. From its galleries it drives lateral 

 passages in search of roots, particularly of the bulbous 

 Cheer ophy Hum, on which it feeds. According to Rzac- 

 zinski, it also devours grain, of which it amasses a store in 

 its burrow for winter consumption. Its actions are sudden 

 and quick, but irregular ; and it moves along with equal ease 

 both forwards and backwards. It burrows very expe- 

 ditiously. In the morning it often quits its retreat and 

 basks with its mate in the sun. At the least noise it 

 raises its head to listen, and in a menacing attitude ; 

 when attacked, it snorts and gnashes its teeth, and de- 

 fends itself resolutely, inflicting severe wounds. There 

 is a superstition among the people of the Ukraine, that 

 the hand which has suffocated one of these animals is 

 gifted with the virtue of curing scrofulous affections. 



The Canada Sand-Rat 



{Geomys b ur sarins ; Mus hnrsarius, Shaw). 

 Fischer regards, and perhaps correctly, the genera 

 Saccophorus, Pseudostomay Diplostoma^ and SaccomySy 



