TALPA. 225 



Hodgson at Darjiling. I cannot see any evidence in Mr. Hodgson's 

 description or in his MS. notes, now in the Zoological Society's 

 Library, that he examined this mole in the flesh ; and as not one of 

 the numerous collectors in Darjiling, since Mr. Hodgson's time, is 

 known to have come across a second specimen, I cannot help 

 doubting whether the type of T. macrura may not be a European 

 skin, accidentally -mixed with Mr. Hodgson's collection. A second 

 specimen in spirits has been found amongst the collections of the 

 Indian Museum, now added to the British Museum, but no 

 locality is recorded. It is worthy of note that, as I am informed 

 by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, a skull from the Altai shows a slight 

 difference in the form of one of the upper molars from European 

 specimens, whereas the supposed Himalayan skull exhibits no such 

 distinction. 



Habits. Moles live in burrows dug by themselves, and of com- 

 plicated form. These have been described by many writers. The 

 abode itself is usually under a hillock, or beneath roots of trees, 

 and consists of a central chamber with passages leading to two 

 circular galleries, one higher in position and smaller in diameter 

 than the other. Several diverging runs lead from the larger 

 gallery, one alone (the main run) being of great length, and con- 

 ducting to the burrows dug in various directions for the purpose 

 of procuring food. The last are extended daily, and their presence 

 indicated on the surface by small piles of earth, the well-known 

 mole-hills. 



The principal food of the mole consists of earthworms, insects 

 and their larvae, snails and slugs ; mice, shrews, and even frogs are 

 also devoured. No animal is more voracious. Males are more 

 numerous than females and fight for the possession of the latter. 

 The pairing-time is about March in Europe, the period of gestation 

 six weeks, and from four to six young are usually produced at 

 once. Moles take to water readily and swim well. 



112. Talpa micrura. The short-tailed Mole. 



Talpa micrura, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. x, p. 910 ; Blyth, J. A. 8. B. xi, 

 p. 95; xix, p. 215, pi. iv, fig. 2 (skull) ; id. Cat. p. 88; Jerdon, 

 Mam. p. 51 ; Dobson, Mon. Ins. p. 139. 



Talpa cryptura, Blyth, J. A. S. B. xii, pp. 177, 928. 



Pariam, Lepcha ; Biyu-kantyem, Bhot. 



Tail extremely short, nearly naked, and completely concealed by 

 the fur; caudal vertebrae 8. Feet nearly naked above. Eyes 

 covered by skin. 



Fourth upper premolar with a large internal basal process. 

 Fourth lower premolar as large as the first or larger. 



Colour uniform velvety black when fresh, with a more or less 

 silvery grey gloss; basal portion of fur leaden grey to leaden 

 black. Dried skins are often brown. Snout and feet whitish or 

 pale flesh-colour. 



Dimensions in spirit : head and body 475 inches, tail 0*2, fore 



Q 



