366 THE HARMONIES OF NATURE. 



subterranean labours, I shall confine myself to a short description 

 of the underground residences of our native mole and of the 

 Australian duckbill. The former not only digs tunnels in the 

 ground, but forms a complicated residence, which may rival 

 the more celebrated erections of the beaver. 



4 The district or domain,' says Mr. Bell, in his ' History of 

 British Quadrupeds,' 'to which an individual mole confines 

 himself, may be termed his encampment. Within its limits, or 

 at least in immediate communication with the district, all the 

 labours of the animal are pursued. It consists of the habitation 

 or fortress, from which extends the high-road by which the 

 animal reaches the opposite end of the encampment, and of 

 various galleries or excavations opening into this road, which it 

 is continually extending in search of food. The fortress is 

 formed under a large hillock, which is always raised in a situa- 

 tion of safety and protection either under a bank, against the 

 foundation of a wall, at the root of a tree, or in some similar 

 locality. The earth of which the dome covering this curious 

 habitation is composed, is rendered exceedingly strong and solid 

 by being pressed and beaten by the mole in forming it. It 

 contains a circular gallery within the base, which communicates 

 with a smaller one above by five nearly equidistant passages ; 

 and the domicile or chamber is placed within the lower and 

 beneath the upper circular gallery, to which last it has access by 

 three similar passages. From the chamber extends another road, 

 the direction of which is at first downwards for several inches ; 

 it then rises again to open into the high-road of the encamp- 

 ment. From the external circular gallery open about nine other 

 passages, the orifices of which are never formed opposite to those 

 which connect the outer with the inner and upper galleries ; 

 these extend to a greater or less distance, and return, each taking 

 an irregular semicircular route, and opening into the high-road 

 at various distances from the fortress.' 



Being a peculiarly aquatic animal, the duckbill always makes 

 its home in the bank of some stream, almost invariably at a 

 wide and still part of the river. There are always two en- 

 trances to the burrow, one below the surface of the water, and 

 the other above, so that the animal may be able to regain its 

 home either by diving or by slipping into the entrance which is 

 above the surface. This latter entrance is so well hidden by 



