FARMERS' REGISTER— THE MOLE. 



719 



channels, to carry off the water. She makes 

 choice of the phice of her abode with the p,rcatest 

 care, sometimes constructing it at the loot of a 

 wall, or near a hedge or a tree, where it has the 

 least chance of being broken in. This abode is 

 sometimes protected by having a quantity of earth 

 thrown over it, especially in light soils, where I 

 have seen a mound almost large enougii to fill a 

 wheelbarrow. Sometimes, however, no earth is 

 thrown up over the habitation. This |)recaution 

 of the mole is very necessary, to prevent the j)laccs 

 she has chosen ibr retreats for herself and her 

 young from being tram])lcd in. When a mole has 

 occasion to make her run through a gateway, I 

 have observed that she generally carries it as near 

 as possible to the gate-post, where it is less likely 

 to be injured. Some runs are so near the surface, that 

 I have seen the ground crack during the animal's 

 progress in working them. The bed for the young is 

 composedofthebladesofwheat,withv/liich the mole 

 forms a sort of mattress. Four hundred and two of 

 Ihem w'ere counted in one nest, and all so fresh in 

 their appearance, that they had been probably col- 

 lected liy tin's little animal in the course of two or 

 three days. This shows not only herextraordinary 

 industry, but the great depredation she nmst com- 

 mit. 



The mole is never known to work for food near 

 the place which she has fixed upon for her ai;)ode. 

 She labors to procure it about two hours in the 

 morning, and as many in the evening, and then re- 

 turns to her home or resting-place, which is so 

 constructed, that she is instantly made aware of 

 any danger. This effect is jiroduced by forming 

 the upper runs in a sort of circle, so as to commu- 

 nicate a vibration when anything passes over them. 

 The mole then takes alarm, and escapes by one of 

 her safety runs. 



Tiie mole is not often seen on the surface of the 

 earth. I once, however, caught one, and turned 

 it loose upon the laun, the turf of whicii was on a 

 bed of strong gravel, and particularly hard and 

 dry. Notwithstanding these disadvantages, the 

 mole contrived to bury itself almost in an instant, 

 working into the eartli by means of her snout and 

 fins (for they can hardly be called feet) so fast, 

 that the ground seemed to yield to her mere pressure. 



The power of smelling in the mole is very acute ; 

 and it is supposed that this sense serves to direct 

 her in the search of her food. She hunts after 

 beetles and worms, which last she pursues eagerly, 

 but not always successfully; for the earth-worm 

 is aware of its clanger, and quick in escaping from 

 it. Her search for })rey taking place in the morn- 

 ing and evening, when birds arc more generally 

 on their feed, must be the means of contributing 

 greatly to their subsistence by driving worms to 

 the surface of the earth, and furnishes another 

 striking proof that the ' fbw Is of the air ' have their 

 food provided by an Almighty and superintending 

 Providence in a variety of ways. 



Le Court, who assisted M. St. Hilaire in his 

 observations, and who appears to have been a sort 

 of philosophical mole-catcher, was surprised when 

 the naturalist expressed a doubt as to the mole see- 

 ing. He informed him. that, in swimming rivers, 

 they habitually guide themselves by their sight ; 

 but, in order to satisfy 31. St. Hilaire on this point, 

 he contrived the following experiment with him : — 

 They made two openings in a dry tiled drain, at 

 one of which several moles were successively in- 



troduced. Le Court took his stand at the other. 

 If he stood quite still, the mole soon came out and 

 escaped; but if, at tlie moment in which she 

 showed herself at the hole, he moved only his 

 thumb, she stopped and turned back. By repeat- 

 ing this as often as she re-appeared, the mole was 

 kept imprisoned in the drain. 



There has been a very general idea amongst our 

 mole-catchers, that if the smallest drop of blood is 

 taken from a mole, it occasions instant death. Le 

 Court seems to account for this opinion in s()eaking 

 of the fights which take place between the male 

 moles, by saying, that if one is ever so slightly 

 wounded in a vein near the ear, the wound is 

 mortal. 



In order to ascertain the rate at w hich a mole 

 moved, he put in j)ractice the following curious 

 experiment : — He i)laced some slight sticks, with 

 a little flag at the top of them, in the run of a mole, 

 wliich he had [U'eviously ascertained by tracing it 

 to be of considerable length, and along which the 

 mole passed and re-passed four times a day in 

 search of food. These slicks were placed at cer- 

 tain intervals in the run, so that if the mole touched 

 them, the flag would instantly show it. He then 

 introduced a horn at one extremity of the run, and 

 blowing it loudly, frightened the animal; and she 

 then went along the run at such a rate, moving 

 the flags in her passage, that Le Court and his 

 friends, who were stationed at intervals along the 

 run to assist in the oliservation, considered that she 

 went as flist as a horse could trot at its greatest 

 speed. 



Hunger in the mole is thought to be a more vi- 

 olent feeling than fear ; and its a{)petite is singu- 

 larly voracious. If it sees al>ird near, it quits its 

 hole — apj)roaches as if to attack it ; and if the bird 

 pecks it, the mole retires towards its hole, and 

 tempts the bird to follow. She then watches her 

 opportunity — darts upon it — seizes it by the belly, 

 which siie tears open, assisting herself for that pur- 

 pose with hei- flaps, and, thrusting her head into it, 

 devours it. She drinks as greedily as she eats. 

 The mole does not, like the mouse, lay up a store 

 of food, as she preys on worms and various kinds 

 of insects: she will also eat frogs, but will not 

 touch a toad, if ever so hungry. A mole was 

 tried with eggs and oysters, but refused to eat 

 either. They will, however, eat fruit, and, Buffon 

 says, acorns. If two moles are shut up together 

 without food, the strongest will devour the weak- 

 est, even to the bones : nothing init the skin is 

 left, which they never eat, and which, when one 

 has killed the other, is always seen to be ripped 

 up along the belly. It was found that ten or twelve 

 hours was the longest time thev could live without 

 food. Tiiis fact seems to prove that the mole is 

 not torpid in frosty weather, which LinnjEus as- 

 serted she was. It is known that, in such seasons, 

 worms, ants, and the larvaj of cock-chafers and 

 beetles penetrate deep into the ground. It is pro- 

 bable, therefore, that the runs of the mole made 

 in search of f()od are regulated, as to their depth, 

 by the habits of the grubs on which she feeds. 

 One would suppose, from the texture of its fur, 

 which is particularly short and thick, that the 

 mole is not very susceptible of cold. Indeed, its 

 whole formation is admirably adapted to its mode 

 of life. 



It has been said that the mole, w hen the ground 

 which it frequents is flooded, will climb up trees. 



