110 Miscellaneous. 



The Food-Stores of the Mole. By Dr. Fr. Daht,, of Kiel. 



In the year 18S6 I published, in the ' Schriften des naturwissen- 

 schaftlichen Vereiiis flir Schleswig-Holstein,' an account of a large 

 store of earthworms which had been fouud in the burrow of a mole. 

 I then expressed the opinion that in all probability this was not a 

 case of a winter food-store, as had hitherto been believed ; on the 

 contrary, since the supply was found at the end of a prolonged 

 period of keen frost, we were rather led to the conclusion that it 

 was precisely in winter that the mole was able to capture its prey 

 most easily, and therefore in excess. However, I added that further 

 observations were greatly to be desired. 



Herr A. Schroter, a market-gardener of Hassee, near Kiel, then 

 had the kindness to continue the observations in his own grounds, 

 partly assisted by myself. I am especially grateful to him, since 

 it is difficult for a town-dweller to select the right moments for 

 observation. 



On December 14, 1886, before the frost set in, we together 

 examined two burrows : we found no stores. Herr .Schriiter then 

 examined two burrows on Jan. 9, 1887, after a slight frost, and two 

 more on March 6 of the same year, without discovering a store of 

 worms. The winter this year was very mild, so that the ground 

 was never frozen deep nor continuously. 



At the beginning of the next winter, on Nov. 27, 1887, Herr 

 Schroter again examined two burrows without finding stores. The 

 next spring, however, after a prolonged and severe frost, there were 

 found on April 8, 1888, in one of the burrows examined — 



578 Earthworms ; 

 67 larva? of Hepialus hijmUmis, L. ; 

 4 Cockchafer grubs ; and 

 3 larva3 of Skip-jack Beetles. 



A second burrow which was examined at the same time was like- 

 wise filled with a number of worms. 



At the commencement of the third winter, on Dec. 23, 1888, after 

 a short slight frost, there were again no stores found. But on 

 March 12, 1889, after a severe and long-continued frost, we found 

 in the first burrow 550 earthworms, and the rest of the burrows 

 exposed also contained large food-stores. 



Before the beginning of last winter, on October 27, 1889, no worms 

 were fouud, as was once more the case on Dec. 26, after a short 

 slight frost. On the 18th of March there was again nothing fouud 

 in the first of the burrows examined, while in the second there were 

 only eight worms. It is true that in this year the soil was frozen 

 for about three weeks, but the irost was very superficial. 



The observations therefore completely confirmed my previous 

 conclusion : it is only after a long-continued and severe frost that 

 large stores of worms and larvte are found. The mole must there- 

 fore be able to capture these creatures more easily during the rigours 

 of winter. With reference to the condition of the worms, I wrote 



