170 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 



and one of the most prolific, as many as 

 twenty-one having been produced at birth. 

 Of all living mammals it is the one most 

 nearly allied to the Marsupials. 



THE MOLES. 



The COMMON MOLE shows a most perfect 

 adaptation to its underground mode of life. 

 The general form of the animal is long, 

 cylindrical, and pointed in front, whilst the 

 legs are exceedingly short, the foot only in 

 the fore limb projecting from the body. This 

 foot is very broad and spade-like and im- 

 mensely powerful, its use being to force a way 

 often with incredible speed through the 

 soft, yielding soil, and not to support the body, 

 as in running or walking. The hind feet are 

 weak, but resemble those of its allies the shrews, 

 for instance. The eyes have become reduced 

 to mere vestiges, very difficult to find. The fur 

 has become so altered in structure that it will lie 

 equally smooth whether brushed towards head 

 or tail, so that it should not be damaged when 

 the animal travels backwards in its burrow. 

 External ears have been dispensed with. 



Worms form the staple diet of the mole, 

 but besides underground insects of all kinds 

 are greedily devoured. This animal is one of 

 the most voracious feeders, falling ravenously 

 upon its prey. It has been said with truth that 



so great is the ferocity displayed by the mole that if it could be magnified to the size of the lion it 



would be one of the most terrible of living creatures. That a constant supply of food is necessary 



to satiate its enormous appetite is shown 



by the fact that a mole will succumb to 



an abstinence of from ten to twelve hours. 



Moles fight among themselves furiously ; 



and :f two are confined together, the 



weaker will be attacked and devoured. 



They take readily to the water, and in- 

 stances of moles observed in the act of 



crossing streams are numerous. 



It is a curious fact, but the mole is 



unknown in Ireland ; yet it ranges from 



England in the west through Asia to 



Japan. 



Careful observation seems to have ^s*^* ' 



shown that with the common mole ph ' b} L ' Medlan ^ F ' z -^ [*.-,*,**/,, 



, r , THREE BABY HEDGEHOGS 



males are more numerous than females. 



__-, ... - Young hedgehogs are born blind and naked. The spines on their first 



Whether this is true of other species appearance are quhe soft . they soon harden , and at the same time the power to 

 remains to be seen. The moles of North roll the body up into a ball it acquired 



Prut- by W. Savillt-Kint, F.Z.S.] [Crojdtn 



COBEGO ASLEEP 



All four limbs are used in suspending itself when asleep, as in the 

 sloths. In this position the cobego closely resembles, and is mistaken by its 

 enemies for, the fruits of one of the nati-ve trees. It is a nocturnal' 

 animal 



