24 



MOLE. 



right angle with the palm and direction of the fore 

 arm. The mole is not seen when vigorously at work, 

 because it works under ground ; but there is no doubt 

 that it works with the claws bent in this angular 

 manner, because it is the position in which they can 

 act with the greatest effect. Indeed it is not possible 

 to imagine an instrument better fitted for its work than 

 this is, and it would make the very best model for a hoe. 

 The hind legs of the mole have five toes and five 

 long claws on the feet, as well as the fore ones ; and 

 they are well adapted for digging ; but in other re- 

 spects their structure is not so peculiar as that of the 

 others. The bones of the pelvis are exceedingly 

 narrow, and the fore or under part of the pelvis is 

 open, so that in the female the young do not pass in 

 the same manner as they do in the more typical 

 mammalia. There are certain other peculiarities in 

 the system of reproduction, especially in the female 

 mole, which are highly interesting in a physiological 

 point of view ; but they can hardly be described in a 

 way which would interest the general reader. We 

 may mention, however, that the female has three 

 openings to the body, one of which is so completely 

 closed in the young state that there is no distinguish- 

 ing the young male from the young female, except 

 by internal dissection. Both are readily taken for 

 males, and this is the point which it is desirable that 

 common observers should know, because want of at- 

 tention to it has probably led to some erroneous con- 

 clusions with regard to the relative numbers of the 

 sexes. Most authors who treat on the mole concur 

 in stating that the number of females is very small as 

 compared with that of males. To a certain extent 

 this is probably the case, but it is doubtful whether 

 there be any animal in which the number of males so 

 greatly predominates over that of females as is 

 alleged of the mole. Moles are monogamous, in as 

 far as the males are concerned ; and the females are 

 not only monandrous, but they are so reluctant to 

 associate that they have to be taken by efforts as des- 

 perate as those which wived the Roman brigands to 

 the Sabine women. In those animals which have 

 the male polygamous, the females are all much more 

 numerous than the males ; and we are not aware that 

 in any species of animal the female can be correctly 

 described as polyandrous. In nature we never find 

 a disproportion of the two sexes, without there being 

 some purpose which it answers ; and it is not easy 

 to say what purpose of this kind could be answered 

 by a great excess of male moles above females. We 

 shall, however, have occasion very slightly to notice 

 " the loves of the moles," which in the describable 

 part of them are different from those of all other 

 creatures ; and so we may now content ourselves 

 with holding up the disparity of the sexes as a point 

 not completely established. There is another point 

 which renders the distinction of male and female 

 moles a matter of some difficulty. The mammas of 

 the females bear some slight resemblance to those 

 of the marsupial animals, inasmuch as they are hardly 

 visible, except when required for the use of the young. 

 The young too .are produced in a very immature state, 

 though certainly not rudirnental, like those of marsu- 

 pial animals. There is no doubt that those peculi- 

 arities in the structure of the female are given to her 

 for the purpose of adapting her tor seeking her food 

 when in the gravid state ; for she must provide for 

 herself and her young without any assistance from 

 the other sex. 



Of the organs of sense we have already partially 

 spoken. There is little doubt that, of the senses allo- 

 cated to particular organs, smelling is the most acute, 

 and the one upon which the animal chiefly depends 

 for finding out that food, the capture of which is so 

 laborious, and the appetite so perfectly ravenous. 

 The extremity of the snout is drawn out into two 

 cartilaginous tubes, which lead to various cells, thickly 

 ramified with the olfactory nerves. This snout, how- 

 ever, has various other functions to perform. It 

 opens the earth, and guides the motions of the animal 

 in digging ; it throws up the earth to the surface, 

 when it accumulates in such quantity as to impede . 

 the operation of digging ; it appears to be an organ 

 of touch ; and it is to some extent prehensile, and 

 assists the animal in capturing its food, or in forcing 

 it to the mouth, which is far under this curious organ. 

 There is no question that the hearing, considered 

 merely as a local sense, and without reference to the 

 general sensibility of the body, is very acute ; for, 

 though there is no external ear, the interior is both 

 ample and well developed. 



Thus, in respect of three of its senses, we must 

 regard the mole as being not inferior to any other 

 animal. In respect of smell, it must indeed be the 

 most acute of any, because of the element through 

 which it has to bore in quest of the greater part of its 

 food. It is well known that nothing tends so much 

 to intercept or take off odours of all kinds, and more 

 especially animal odours, than fresh mould, of that 

 rich and loamy nature which forms the richest pasture 

 of the mole. So well is this known, that those people 

 of inhospitable climates, who are constrained to live 

 in great part upon sea-birds, whose flesh is rank, con- 

 trive to sweeten it by burying it in the soil. The 

 mole has necessarily to contend against this disad- 

 vantage of its pastures ; and, as no production of 

 nature is left deficient for the ordinary overcoming 

 of any difficulty or hardship that may lie in its way, 

 we may conclude, as a matter of course, that there is 

 a keenness of scent in the mole far surpassing that of 

 any animal which feeds on the surface of the earth. 

 The hearing we cannot so well under stand, because 

 we have no good instance of the effect of hearing 

 when both the sounding body and the hearing ear 

 are in the earth. It is highly probable, however, 

 from the great development of the labyrinth of the 

 ear, that the sense of hearing is exceedingly acute as 

 well as that of smell. That the sight is much less so 

 is true, though the common mole is not blind ; but it 

 has no use for eyes in its subterranean occupations, 

 which consume the greater part of its time ; and as 

 nature is never prodigal any more than stinted, eyes 

 to the mole as fully developed as those of surface 

 animals would be contrary to the general law. We 

 have already mentioned the mistake in which the 

 alleged blindness of the common mole has in all pro- 

 bability originated ; and we shall now add that the 

 little eyes which it possesses are remarkable for their 

 brightness, as well as for the apparent perfection of 

 their structure. When examined in profile, the cornea 

 or anterior coat of the eye is remarkably convex and 

 highly transparent, but blackish grey when viewed 

 in front. The interior coats are deep black, and the 

 retina is very finely developed. The crystalline lens 

 is very convex as well as the cornea, which would 

 lead one to conclude that the mole has eyes of very 

 short focal length, and which consequently see very 

 acutely within their range. 



