152 



MOLES AND SHREWS 



DIGGING MUSCLES OF A MOLE. 



adds 1M inches. Its nose projects half an inch beyond its 

 mouth, and on the end it feels as hard as if it contained a 

 bone. It terminates in a broad, flattened point, shaped quite 

 like a rock-drill. 



The fore foot is three-quarters of an inch wide, but less 

 than an inch in length, including the claws, which measure 



half an inch. In your hand, a 



Mole is a wriggling, restless 



creature. Place it upon ground 



that is not packed hard, and 



in about one second it has 



found a suitable spot for an 



opening. Its nose sinks into 



the earth as if it were a brad-awl, with a combined pushing 



and boring motion, and in three seconds your Mole's head 



is no longer in sight. 



Up comes the powerful right foot, sliding close along the 

 side of the head, edgewise and palm outward, to the end of the 

 nose. The living chisel cuts the earth vertically, and then 

 with a quick motion it pries the earth sidewise from its nose. 

 Instantly the left foot does the same thing on the other side, 

 while the brad-awl nose goes right on boring. In ten seconds, 

 by the watch, the Mole's body has entirely disappeared, and 

 in three minutes our Mole will tunnel a foot, unless inter- 

 rupted. 



When skinned for dissection, it is found that the eye is 

 merely a small, dark speck under the skin, suitable only to 

 distinguish light from darkness. The eyeball is about the 

 size of a pin-head. The arm and forearm is a big, hard bundle 



