20 THE PESTS OF THE FARM. 



There are two kinds of moles that are pests viz., the shrew- 

 mole and the star-nose mole. 



The shrew-mole is found abundantly in North America, from 

 Canada to Virginia ; often living at no great distance from water- 

 courses, or in dykes thrown up to protect meadows from inunda- 

 tion. But so far from exclusively inhabiting such places, as stated 

 in various books, I have found them in far greater numbers at a 

 very considerable distance from any water-course, and in high 

 oftener than low grounds. In the country they frequent the gar- 

 dens, where their subterranean galleries are sometimes productive 

 of vexation to the farmer, especially as the animal occasionally 

 courses along the rows of pea-vines, &c., apparently for the purpose 

 of feeding on their roots. This, we shall hereafter learn, is most 

 probably an error, and we may find good reasons for believing that 

 the shrew-mole should be considered rather as a benefactor than a 

 depredator. 



The shrew-mole burrows with great quickness, and travels under 

 ground with much celerity : nothing can be better constructed for 

 this purpose than its broad and strong hands, or fore-paws, armed 

 with long and powerful claws, which are very sharp at their ex- 

 tremities, and slightly curved on the inside. These are thrust for- 

 ward so as to be even with the extremity of the flexible snout, and 

 the earth to be removed is pressed outwards, and at the same time 

 thrown backwards with remarkable quickness. The soft and 

 polished fur Avith which this animal is covered, preventing a great 

 degree of friction, tends to facilitate its subterranean march. 



Numerous galleries, communicating with each other, enable the 

 shrew-mole to travel in various directions, without coming to the sur- 

 face, which they appear to do very rarely, unless their progress is im- 

 peded by a piece of ground so hard as to defy their strength and 

 perseverance. The depth of their burrows depends very materially 

 on the character of the soil, and the situation of the place : sometimes 

 we find them running for a great distance, at a depth of from one to 

 three inches, and again we trace them much deeper; after follow- 

 ing such a gallery for several yards, it occasionally communicates 

 with another going deep into the earth. 



The most remarkable circumstance connected with these bur- 

 rows is the number of hills of loose dirt which are frequently 

 formed over the surface of them. These hills of loose earth are 

 usually found in considerable numbers, at a distance of two feet or 

 a httle more apart, being from four to six inches high, and about 



