278 UPLAND AND MEADOW. 



Now it is objected by Dr. Merriam, that it would be 

 " a very easy matter for these semi-aqnatic animals to 

 betake themselves to higher ground when driven from 

 their usual haunts by freshets ; and this is exactly what 

 usually takes place, as I have ascertained by personal 

 observation;" and my friend adds, "in the Adirondack 

 region, where snow covers the ground for five or six 

 months of the year, the star-nosed mole does not hiber- 

 nate. At the approach of winter it sinks its galleries 

 below the depth to which frost penetrates, and still 

 finds an abundance of earth-worms, which at all sea- 

 sons constitute a large share of its food. When the 

 snow has attained the depth of a metre or a metre and 

 a half, as it commonly does here during January and 

 February, the frost gradually leaves the ground, and 

 both moles and earth-worms again approach the surface. 

 The moles sometimes burrow up through the snow ; and 

 I have captured them while running about on a stiff 

 crust, through which they were unable to bore in time 

 to make good their escape." 



In reply to my friend's criticism, I have stated that 

 it was probable that these moles closed their burrows in 

 such a manner as to exclude the water; but I take it 

 back. The fact is that the star-nosed mole is rather 

 an aquatic animal than " semi-aquatic," as stated by Dr. 

 Merriam, and is better adopted to prolonged submerg- 

 ence, even when fully active, than an otter or a musk- 

 rat. It is certainly true of them that they coil up in 

 a corner of their burrows and sleep through a freshet, 

 not keeping dry at the time, either ; and when winter 

 has "set in," they do not see fit to follow earth-worms 



