518 AMERICAN MOLES CHAP. 
Their principal food consists of earthworms, and it may not be 
out of place to quote Topsell’s quaint account of their pursuit of 
the annelids: “ When the wormes are followed by molds (for by 
digging and heaving they foreknow their owne perdition) they 
fly to the superficies and very toppe of the earth, the silly beast 
knowing that the molde, their adversary, dare not followe them 
into the light, so that their wit in flying their enemy is greater 
than in turning againe when they are troade upon.” It has 
lately been said’ that Moles store up earthworms for consump- 
tion during the winter, biting off their heads to prevent their 
crawling away. 
Scalops, an American genus, is a Mole-like creature of largely 
aquatic habits, as its webbed hind-feet show; it has a short, naked 
tail. Apparently, like the Shrews, it has no lower canines. 
Condylura, another American genus, is called the Star-nosed 
Mole on account of a curious radiating structure at the end of 
the snout. 
Myogale, the Desman, is still more aquatic in habit, and 
connects the Moles with the Shrews, though, as in many of the 
former, it has lower canines. It has webbed hind-feet and a long 
tail. One species occurs in the Pyrenees, the other in Russia. A 
few other genera (Urotrichus, Uropsilus, Scaptonyx, Dymecodon, 
Scapasius, Perascalops) belong to the same family. 
Fam. 9. Soricidae.—The true Shrews have a much wider 
range than other families of the present order. In the Palaearctic 
region are found Sorex, Crossopus, Crocidura, Nectogale, Chimar- 
rogale. The first is also Nearctic, and reaches Central America. 
In the Ethiopian region is the single peculiar genus JZyosorex, but 
Crocidura occurs there also. Blarina and Notiosorex are “Sonoran” 
in range; Soriculus Oriental. Crocidura, Anurosorex, and Chimar- 
rogale also enter this region. Sorex has teeth tipped with reddish 
colour, its dental formula being, according to Mr. Woodward's 
recent researches, I eaten Ci Pm 3 M3=382 or 34. 
As compared with other Insectivores, therefore, the most 
remarkable fact found throughout the family is the absence of the 
lower canines. In addition to this the genus may be known— 
the family indeed—by the large size of the first pair of incisors. 
In the above formula it is possible, thinks Mr. Woodward, that 
there may be errors; he is not certain whether the supposed 
1 Ritsema Bos, Biol. Centralbl. xviii. 1898, p. 63. 
