TALVID.E. MAMMALIA. TALPIDA 



peculiarities, yet, we venture to assert, if any one will 

 undertake to make a close acquaintance with their 

 anatomy, that of all known animal beings, man alone 

 excepted, none will prove more interesting in a struc- 

 tural point of view ; and further, none will furnish 

 more striking and incontrovertible evidences of the 

 truthful doctrine of final causes, and the consummate 

 wisdom of creative skill. It is well known these 

 creatures enjoy a subterraneous mode of existence, and 

 it cannot but delight the high-souled teleologist when 

 he perceives that their entire organization is beautifully 

 adapted to, and eminently qualifies them for, such a 

 habit of life. These adaptations are well seen in the 

 skeleton, and selecting that of the common mole 

 (Plate 33, fig. 104), the first peculiarity which meets 

 the eye' is the apparent length of the osseous frame- 

 work a result which arises rather from the shortness 

 of the limbs and elongation of the head than from 

 attenuation of the body itself. The bones of the neck, 

 A, have very strong transverse processes, for the attach- 

 ment of muscles ; but the second cervical vertebra only 

 is provided with a superior spinous process, to the extre- 

 mity of which there is articulated a long slender osseous 

 style, which is called the nuchal bone. Altogether 

 there are forty-three vertebrae, that is, seven cervi- 

 cal, fifteen dorsal, B, six lumbar, c, three sacral, D, and 

 twelve caudal, E. The several bones of the head are very 

 early consolidated together, while the nasal cartilage 

 extends forward in front to support the long projecting 

 muzzle. The ribs have a tolerably uniform length, a 

 circumstance which helps to impart a cylindrical aspect 

 to the skeleton. The long narrow bones of the pelvis 

 exhibit a similar appearance of being drawn out, as 

 it were, from end to end. In regard to the hinder 

 extremities, perhaps the only points worthy of remark 

 refer to their general shortening, and the union of the 

 tibia and fibula at the lower third of the leg ; in the 

 bones of the foot there is a supplementary tarsal 

 segment of considerable size, assuming in the prepared 

 skeleton the character of a sixth toe. It is, however, 

 in the constitution of the anterior extremity that the 

 most extraordinary skeletal deviations are witnessed, 

 these being well calculated to excite astonishment. 

 The sternum, though not usually described in con- 

 nection with the bones of the fore limb, is here so 

 intimately associated with the prodigious muscular 

 developments attached to it and rendered necessary 

 to move the arms, that hitherto we have purposely 

 passed it over. It is a very large bone, and the anterior 

 portion or manubrium, as it is called, is excessively 

 prominent, serving to support the collar bones and the 

 first pair of ribs. The clavicles are remarkably short, 

 thick- and of a quadrate form ; they form a strong 

 point (fappui for muscular action. The scapula or 

 shoulder-blade, on the other hand, is extremely long, 

 and correspondingly narrowed more resembling, in 

 fact, one of the ordinary cylindrical bones of the limb 

 than its normal characteristic flatness. The humerus 

 or arm-bone proper is, however, the most strangely 

 altered of all, having not only lost the usual elongated 

 character so constant in quadrupeds generally, but pre- 

 senting an oddly-contorted and jagged outline, utterly 

 incomparable to that seen in any other family. Yet, 



in all its typical constituent parts, it is a veritable 

 humerus, and by its very abnormality demonstrates 

 how strictly nature adheres to a given archetypal plan, 

 even when the exigencies of the individual seem to 

 require the introduction of a supernumerary element of 

 strength. Observe the remarkable conformity to type. 

 This bone presents an irregularly square-shaped form, 

 and is somewhat compressed laterally. Unlike any 

 other humeri with which we are acquainted, it has two 

 widely separated and distinct articular facets at the 

 superior end; one being articulated to the clavicle, 

 the other to the bladebone. A still more manifest 

 reversion of the ordinary state of things is seen in the 

 situation of the elbow-joint, which, instead of occupy- 

 ing its relatively inferior position, is actually placed on 

 a higher level than the shoulder-joint ; and as the limb 

 is turned and fixed in a semi-prone attitude, the palm 

 of the hand is consequently directed outwards and 

 backwards. The bones of the forearm, or radius and 

 ulna, also take part in these abnormal dispositions ; the 

 head or upper end of the former assuming a hooked 

 character, while that of the latter is also greatly 

 enlarged. By these arrangements strength is imparted, 

 and all rotation of the limb prevented. There are 

 no less than eleven bones belonging to the carpus or 

 wrist ; they are placed in two rows, five in each, while j 

 the eleventh is attached to the lower extremity of the 

 radius ; this latter is sabre-shaped, and converges out- 

 wards towards the lower end of the metacarpal bone 

 of the thumb, giving increased breadth to the spade- 

 like hand. The digital phalanges of the first two rows 

 are particularly short and broad, the terminal series 

 being elongated, pointed, and curved inwards towards 

 the palm. In addition to these skeletal characters, 

 there are others of equal importance, when considered 

 in the light of a family definition. In the typical 

 forms the teeth are forty-four in number, of which there 

 are fourteen incisives, six above and eight below, no 

 true canines, and thirty molars, seven on either side of 

 the lower jaw and eight similarly disposed in the 

 upper ; the anterior pair functionally representing the 

 absent canines. The genera Chrysochloris and Condy- 

 lura exhibit a slight departure from this dental formula. 

 The moles have no external auricles; the eyes are 

 very small, the feet being pendactylous and armed 

 with strong claws ; the tail is usually short. Speaking 

 generally, they have a stout thickset appearance ; but 

 this is chiefly due to their large fleshy muscles and 

 fatty accumulations, which are also covered by a dense, 

 smooth, furry coat of close-set hair. 



THE COMMON MOLE (Talpa Europcea} Plate 6, 

 fig. 22. Every rustic is familiar with the habits and 

 oblong form of this little mammal, which measures 

 five inches in length, not including the tail. Destined 

 to pursue its prey beneath the surface of the earth, it 

 is surprising, considering the dense nature of the 

 medium, that it should be able to swim, as it were, 

 through the very soil with a rapidity perfectly astound- 

 ing. We have already partially unravelled the nature 

 of the mechanism by which these movements are 

 accomplished in our description of the skeleton ; but 

 there still remains to be noticed in particular, the 

 scoop-like configuration of the hands, which are convex 



