THE COMMON MOLE. 



little while at the end of about every four hours,, 

 till dark. In the mild weather of winter, they may 

 be found at their labours through the whole of the 

 day; and it is only when the frost sets in so hard 

 as to render the ground altogether impermeable, 

 that they are compelled either to discontinue their 

 operations entirely, or to proceed in them at such 

 depths as to be beyond the reach of our discovery. 

 During the winter months, they generally get into 

 warm and sheltered situations, such as under thick 

 and shady hedge-rows, or into gardens which have 

 fruit-walls. Gardeners, consequently, often catch 

 them in the months of December,, January, and 

 February. Previously to any great change of the 

 weather, such as heavy rain or storms, the Moles 

 are said always to work particularly hard. In sum- 

 mer time, if the season happens to be a dry one, 

 they repair to the borders of ditches,, the banks of 

 rivers, or places contiguous to hedges, for mois- 

 ture, and for a necessary protection against the 

 heat. 



The fore-feet of the Mole, from their size and 

 enormous strength, as well as their oblique posi- 

 tion outwards, are, as before observed, peculiarly 

 fitted to aid all the subterraneous labours of the 

 animal. By means of these, in forming its galle- 

 ries or runs, it scrapes the earth towards each side, 

 till the quantity becomes too great for it to pro- 

 ceed onward with ease. It then works to the sur- 

 face ; and by pushing with its head, and its nervous 



paws, 



