THE COMMON MOLE. 223 



stick. When the Mole has passed half-way through 

 one of the nooses, and in his progression removes 

 the central peg, the bent stick rises by its elasticity, 

 and strangles him*. 



Many of the common people believe that the 

 Mole is both blind and deaf, since its eyes and ears 

 are so extremely minute, and so closely covered 

 with fur, as not easily to be perceptible. Had 

 either of these organs been of much larger size, 

 they would have been perpetually liable to injury 

 in the ground, by the earth falling into them. 

 The eyes, however, have every property that is 

 necessary towards distinct vision ; a very small 

 degree of which must be sufficient for an animal 

 destined to live beneath the surface of the earth. 

 The ears terminate externally in minute auditory 

 holes; yet such is the animal's quickness of hearing, 

 that it takes alarm, and seeks for safety in flight, at 

 the most distant approach of danger. 



There have been discovered in Great Britain 

 three varieties of the Common Mole, distinguishable 

 >y their different colour: 



The White Mole, the Spotted or Variegated Mole, 

 and the Tawny or Cream-coloured Mole. 



* See Animal Biography, i. p. 398400. 



In 



