FERJE. THE MOLE TRIBE. 35 



19. THE COMMON MOLE. Tail short : five toes on each 

 foot. Talpa Europcea. Linn. 



Length about five inches and three quarters, exclusive of the tail, 

 which is about an inch long. Head large, and terminating in a 

 slender, strong, and cartilaginous snout Neck so thick and short 

 that the head seems externally to be joined immediately to the 

 shoulders. Eyes so minute as scarcely to be perceptible. No ex- 

 ternal ears. Fore-feet short, but excessively strong and broad : they 

 are situated outwards, and furnished with large claws. Hind-feet 

 much smaller. Fore part of the body very thick and muscular. 

 Skin so tough as not easily to be cut, except by a very sharp knife. 

 Fur short, close set, and softer than the finest velvet. 



Colour generally glossy black. W. B. 



Talpa caudd brevi, pedibus pentadactylis. Talpa Eu- 

 ropcea. Linn. Syst. Nat. Gmel. i. p. 110. Erxleben, 

 Syst. regn. animal, gen. 13, sp. 1, p. 114. 



Talpa Europcea. European Mole. Turton, i. p. 69. 

 Kerr, p. 200. 



Talpa vulgaris. Brisson, regn. animal, p. 280. 



Talpa nostras, nigra communiter. Klein. Quadr. disp. 

 p. 60. 



Talpa. Gesner, p. 951. Ruysch, i. pa. 1, p. 118. 

 Raii. Syn. Quadr. p. 236. 



La Taupe. Buff. Sonn. xxv. p. 258, tab. 11, fig. 1,2. 



La Taupe ordinaire. Cuv. Tab. Element, p. 110. 



Common Mole. Shaw's Gen. Zool. i. p. 515, tab. 1 17. 

 Bing. Anim. Biog. 3d edit. i. p. 399. 



European Mole. Penn. Quadr. i. p. 229. Penn. Brit. 

 Zool. i. p. 128. 



Mole. Smellie's Buffon, iv. p. 309, tab. 87. 



THE 



