lift' MOLE. 341 



deadly peril. Its eyes are then perceptible, as little, black, beady objects that glitter through 

 the fur, but do not ap|-ar to ,-njo\ any great powers of vi I'his power of protruding and 



withdrawing the eye*, is rendered M... aiv l-v the suliterraiiean habits of the animal, which 

 is thus :il-le to piot.-ct its eves iioin the l.~.-.- mould throu-h which it i- constantly ]*ssing. 



In onler to adapt the Mole to the |Mi-uliar life which it leads, the entire framework of its 

 bodv woiidei-fidlv <! \.s its chief employ meiit consists la digging, i he entire 



sti.-iu-th of the animal -.-.m- t<> IN- concentrated in the fore-quarters, when- the bones ami 

 muscles are developed to a marvellous extent. If the Mole U- sirip| H -d of its skin, the mi. 

 of the for*- limbs will be found to be so powerful that they roll between the fingers, hard. 

 slip|H-ry. and almost incompiexsinle. These enormous muscles give jiower and motion to the 

 \. r\ ellici.-nt .liL._-ni_' apparatus with which the M.-le is endowed. 



The fore jiaws are e\ti>-nn-l\ large, and furnished with strong and flattened nails. Tln-v 



iirned rather obliquely, as seen in the ti^uie. MI onler to ^\\ free sco|- to their exertions. 



The bones of the fore-urm are of very great thi< ku- . and bowil in that peculiar manner which 



always indicates enormous strength in the possessor. Hut the m-t -diking and curious 



iarity in the strut-tun- of the Mole is the -insularly loin; shoulder Made, which, by its 



_:..,i length :, i strength, nffords attMiUMBl to '' \- ''<' muscles M Inch alone could give 



the requisite force to the lni>ad. sj-ade like paws. The JKIW- an- devoid of the soft fur that 

 shields the n-st of the IxNly. ami an- covered with a thick but naked skin. It is chiefly to these 

 paws that any mould is found adherent when the Mole is captured, for the soft and velvet like 

 fur |H-rmits no earthy stain to delile its glossy smoothness. 



The Mole's fin- i- n-markably tine in its textun-. and i- allix.-d t<> the -kin in such a man- 

 ner that it ha.s no particular "grain." ami lies smoothly in every direction. This jieculiarity 

 enables the Mole to proceed along its galleries with tin- nee. It-rity. 



The skin of the Mole is remarkably touirh and thick, and is often us<-d by the |-easantry 

 for t he purpose of making purses. The process of manufacture is simple enough, con-i-iing 

 y in cuttim: the animal across, just In-hind tin- shoiiltlers, stripping tin- skin fiom tin- 

 hinder iMirtions, dryini: it carefully, and closing it by means of a string run round the > 



Tin- Mole is said to l>e an excellent swimmer, and to be able to cross rivers, wln-n led 

 to such an act by any adequately |H>werful motive. How far true this assertion may 1-e. I tan 

 not prove by jiersonal exjierience ; but I think that it is likely to be possible, for I hav.- 

 Mole swim across the ln-nd of a brook a distance of some few yanls and jH-rfonn its 

 natatory achievement with great eawe. I was not near enough to ascertain tin- mode of its 

 progression, but it seemed t<- u-e its fore -jiaws as the piim-ipal instruments of locomotion. 



Fnun all accounts, tin- Mole seems to I*- a thirsty animal, and to stand in constant need 

 of water, tli inking every few hours in tin- course of the day. In order to supply this want it 

 is in tin- habit of sinking well like pits in different parts of its "runs." so that it may never U- 

 without the means of quenching its thirst. F,\vry thing that the Mole does is marked with 

 that air of desperate A hich is so characteristic of tin- animal. The laUirers in different 



parts of Enrol*- a " unite in the same story, that tin- Mole works for three hours "like a 

 horse," ami then rests for three hours, laboring and resting alternately through the day. and 

 with admirable j.-n-ejition of time. 



The well known mole-hills" which stud certain lands, and which disfigure them so sadly, 

 however much their iin-i-htliness may be compensated by tln-ir n-al usefulness, are of various 

 kinds, according to the sex and age of the miner. The small hillocks which follow each oiln-r 

 in rapid succession are generally made by the female Mole Ix-fon- she has produced her little 

 family, and when sin- i- not able to undergo the great labor of digging in tin- ha Her soil. 

 Sometimes the "rnn" is shallow as to permit the superincuml-nt earth to fall in, so that 

 the course which the Mo e has followed is little more than a trench. This is said to \ 

 duced by the little coquetries that take place U-tweeii tin- Mole and his future mate, when the 

 one flies in simulated terror, and tin- other follows with undisgui--! determination. 



Deeper in the soil is often found a very large burrow, sufficiently wide t.- j-nnit two 

 Moles to pass each other. This is one of the high-mads which lead from otic f.i-ding-ground 

 to another, and from which the different shafts radiate. 



