THE EYES OF THE MOLE. 



ME. BUCKLAND in his interesting article on 

 the structure of the mole, with reference to its 

 adaptation to the animal's habits, mentions the fact 

 of the eyes being more apparent at certain times 

 when the mole's attention is excited. I may state 

 that I kept a living mole for some time myself. 

 He was a most voracious little beast, and used to 

 eat more than half a pint of earth-worms a day. 

 I frequently noticed that when the worms were 

 placed in the tub, half filled with earth, in which 

 the mole was kept, the animal would emerge, and 

 throwing its prey on the surface, on such occasions 

 the eyes were very perceptible, and appeared to 

 have a considerable power of retraction, as, when 

 the animal was not excited they were scarcely 

 visible. On one occasion the mole managed to fall 

 into a pan of water, which used to stand in the tub, 

 and I noticed that the eyes were very prominently 

 extended. Any persons who imagine that the 



