133 



THE COMMON MOLE. 



Talpa Europaea. LINN. 

 PLATE VIII. 



Eur velvety, black ; eyelids open ; incisors equal in 

 length* 



Talpa Europaea, Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 73 ; Desmar. Mammal. 160; 

 Jenyns, Brit. Vert. An. 17; Bell, Brit. Quadr. 85. 



THE Moles, of which only a single species occurs 

 in Britain, are small quadrupeds, having the body 

 nearly of a cylindrical form, the neck very short and 

 thick ; the head tapering to a pointed snout ; the fore 

 limbs very short and strong ; the fore feet of great 

 breadth, furnished with remarkably strong straight 

 claws ; the soles directed outwards ; the hind feet 

 small, with slender claws ; the eyes extremely 

 small, and concealed among the fur ; the ears des- 

 titute of auricles ; the tail short and slender ; the 

 nair soft and velvety. There are six incisors in 

 the upper, and eight in the lower jaw ; large, tri- 

 angular, compressed, canine teeth ; seven grinders 

 above, and six below, in each jaw. In their form 



