S72 



ANIMALS OF 



ness, to its food. The wants of a subterrane- 

 ous animal can be but few : and these are suf- 

 ficient to supply them : to eat, and to produce 

 its kind, are the \vholeemployment of such a 

 life ; and for both these purposes it is wonder- 

 fully adapted by nature/ 



Thus admirably is this animal fitted for a 

 life of darkness and solitude ; with no appe- 

 tites but what it can easily indulge, with no 

 enemies but what it can easily evade or con- 

 quer. As soon as it has once buried itself in 

 the earth, it seldom stirs out, unless forced by 

 violent rains in summer, or when in pursuit of 

 its prey, it happens to come too near the sur- 

 face, and thus gets into the open air, which 

 may be considered as its unnatural element. 

 In general, it chooses the looser, softer grounds, 

 beneath which it can travel with greater ease ; 

 in such also, it generally finds the greatest 

 .number of worms and insects, upon which it 

 chiefly preys. It is observed to be most active, 

 and to cast up most earth, immediately before 

 rain ; and, in winter, before a thaw : at those 

 times the worms and insects begin to be in mo- 

 tion : and approach the surface, whither this 

 industrious animal pursues them. On the con- 

 trary, in very dry weather, the mole seldom or 

 never forms any hillocks ; for then it is oblig- 

 ed to penetrate deeper after its prey, which at 

 such seasons retire far into the ground. 



As the moles very seldom come above 

 ground, 1 " they have few enemies ; and very 

 readily evade the pursuit of animals stronger 

 and swifter than themselves. Their greatest 

 calamity is an inundation ; which, wherever 

 it happens, they are seen in numbers attempt- 

 ing to save themselves by swimming, and 

 using every effort to reach the higher grounds. 

 The greatest part, however, perish, as well as 

 their young, which remain in the holes behind. 

 Were it not for such accidents, from their great 

 fecundity, they would become extremely trou- 

 blesome ; and, as it is, in some places, they 

 are considered by the farmer as his greatest 

 pest. They couple towards the approach of 

 spring ; and their young are found about the 

 beginning of May. They generally have four 



a Testes habet maximos, parastatas amplissimas, novum 

 corpus seminale ab his diversum ac separatum. Penem 

 ptiam facile omnium, in fallor, animalium longissimum, ex 

 quibus colligere est maximam prae reliquis omnibus animali- 

 bus voluptatem in coitu, hoc abjectum et vile animalculum 

 pereipere ut habeant quod ipsi invideant qui in hoc supremaa 



or five at a time ; and it is easy to distinguish 

 among other mole-hills, that in which the fe- 

 male has brought forth her young. These are 

 made with much greater art than the rest ; 

 and are usually larger. The female, in order 

 to form this retreat, begins by erecting the 

 earth into a tolerable spacious apartment, 

 which is supported within by partitions, at 

 proper distances, that prevent the roof from 

 Jailing. All round this she works, and heats 

 the earth very firm, so as to make it capable 

 of keeping out the rain, let it be never so vio- 

 lent. As the hillock, in which this apartment 

 is thus formed, if raised above ground, the 

 apartment itself is consequently above the level 

 of the plain, and, therefore, less subject to ac- 

 cidental slight inundations. The place being 

 thus fitted, she then procures grass and dry 

 leaves as a bed for her young. There they 

 lie secure from wet, and she continues to make 

 their retreat equally so from danger; for all 

 round this hill of her own raising, are holes 

 running into the earth, that part from the mid- 

 dle apartment, like rays from a centre, and 

 extend about fifteen feet in every direction : 

 these resemble so many walks or chases, into 

 which the animal makes her subterraneous 

 excursions, and supplies her young with such 

 roots or insects as she can provide: but they 

 contribute still more to the general safety ; for 

 as the mole is very quick of hearing, the in- 

 stant she perceives her little habitation attacked, 

 she takes to her burrow, and unless the earth 

 be dug away by several men at once, she and 

 her young always make a good retreat. 



The mole is scarcely found, except in culti- 

 vated countries : the varieties are but few. 

 That which is found in Virginia, resembles the 

 common mole, except in colour, which is black, 

 mixed with a deep purple. There are some- 

 times white moles, seen particularly in Poland, 

 rather larger than the former. As their skin is 

 so very soft and beautiful, it is odd that it has 

 not been turned to any advantage. Agricola 

 tells us, that he saw hats made from it, the 

 finest and the most beautiful that could be 

 imagined. 



_-^ r - - - - j 



vitae sase delicias collorant: Rnii Synops. Quadnip. p. 239- 

 Huic opinion! assentitur D. Bnffon, attamer non raihi ap- 

 paiet magnitudinem partium talem vi<liiptatcm augere 

 Maiihus enim salacissiuiis conUiuluui obtintt. 

 b Bufl'on. 



