135 COMMON MOLE. 



compressed, conical grinders ; the first large grinder 

 has four points ; the second five ; the last also five. 

 The tongue is long, worm-like, depressed, and thin- 

 edged at the end. The palate is marked with large 

 transverse ridges. The intestinal canal, from the 

 mouth to the extremity, measures six feet; the 

 stomach is large and membranous ; the intestine of 

 uniform diameter. 



If it be added to these particulars, that the snout 

 is furnished with a small bone at its extremity ; that 

 the cervical ligament is exceedingly strong ; the 

 clavicles large ; the bones of the anterior extremity 

 nearly as thick as long ; the sternum large, with a 

 longitudinal ridge ; the pectoral muscles, and those 

 of the arm, fore arm, and hand, extremely developed, 

 ;and we shall be enabled to perceive the adaptation of 

 the form and structure of the Mole to its peculiar 

 habits. 



To an animal destined to live under ground, an 

 acute sense of sight could be of no advantage, and 

 therefore the vision of the Mole seems to be con- 

 fined to the mere perception of light, by which it is 

 apprised of its approach to the surface. But, on 

 the other hand, its hearing, although it has no ex- 

 ternal ear to collect the vibrations of the air, is 

 considered as extremely delicate. Its instantaneous 

 perception of movements in the air or ground, how- 

 ever, may be as satisfactorily accounted for by ac- 

 cording it an extreme delicacy of organization in 

 the general organ of toueh or sensibility, such as 

 exists in the Bats. 



