WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



Though moles may not differ much in shape 

 and make from one another, I found that they 

 did differ in character and ways to a remark- 

 able extent. Of the half-dozen moles which I 

 have kept in cages so as to learn all I could of 

 their habits, no two behaved just the same. 

 The males were much bolder and easier to 

 tame than the females, the latter being of 

 a shy retiring disposition. The former would 

 soon learn that a tap on the glass side meant 

 food at hand, but the ladies would take several 

 days before they would come to meet the hand 

 that dropped in their worms. Once a gentle- 

 man mole had got accustomed to the noises 

 made by people walking about the room it took 

 a great deal to frighten him; but one of my 

 females remained terrified to the end, always 

 burying herself when anything moved. When 

 watching a mole you would never think that it 

 was blind, for its keen nose tells it exactly what 

 is before it. For instance, I put a mole on a 

 table from which there was a drop of three 

 feet to the ground, but the mole did not tumble 

 off. It raced to the edge, thrust its nose over, 

 and drew back instantly as if it saw what a fall 

 it might have. Then it ran across to the other 

 side, where it did the same thing. It was 



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