116 SUBJECT CONTINUED. 



excepting that any breach, had heen carefully re- 

 paired. It was obvious that when accidents occurred, 

 the inmate had dug downwards, for the evident 

 purpose of raising sufficient earth to fill up the 

 openings ; and this, of course, slightly altered the 

 direction of the arched way. On breaking down a 

 part of the gallery, a beautiful cell became visible, 

 which had been excavated in tough clay, and was 

 deeper than the common level. This little apart- 

 ment was clear and smooth, as if much used ; it was 

 also nicely arched, and about the size of a common 

 melon. Thus cruelly disturbed, the owner was soon 

 obliged to excavate another dwelling, rather further 

 on one side. This was also broken up, and again 

 replaced in the course of a few hours ; but, being 

 disturbed a third time, it was entirely abandoned. 

 The naturalist now trod down the gallery for the 

 space of some inches, and waited beside the ruin, to 

 discover, if possible, the persevering inmate. A 

 few minutes passed, and his wishes were realized ; 

 the flattened gallery was quickly raised to its former 

 convexity, and the inmate seemed to be busily 

 occupied within. No time was to be lost ; and with 

 a careful thrust of his knife beneath the rising earth, 

 he threw forth his prize into the sunshine. For a 

 moment the captive seemed motionless with asto- 

 nishment ; " and vain would it be for me," said the 

 narrator, " to describe my pleasure in having thus 

 succeeded. I was delighted with the beauty of the 

 fur, with the admirable adaptation of his diggers, 

 or broad rose-tinted paws, to the miner's toil ; with 

 the strength of his limbs, and the peculiar suitable- 

 ness of his head and neck to the kind of life for 



