Varieties of Mole 95 



cynhenyd, Samp, Gwadd, and Gorddodyn^ being only a few of 

 them. The ancient English name of Mouldwarp, or 

 Mouldiwarp, is, according to Bell, derived from the Anglo- 

 Saxon Molde, soil, and Weorpan^ to throw up. It is still, 

 with little variation, in common use in many parts of 

 England, Moudiewart being the everyday name of the 

 animal in the North. In the west it becomes Want, 

 suggestive of a Danish origin, the old name in that language 

 being Wand ; Vond is still the Norwegian name. 



Varieties in colour, in the Mole, seem to be particularly 

 liable to occur in certain districts. In many places they are 

 not uncommon, but in Merionethshire they were looked 

 upon as being very rare. I only heard of one " white mole," 

 and my informant did not care how long it might be till he 

 saw another, as on the day he brought that one home, his 

 cow died, and he naturally connected the events with one 

 another. This recalls a somewhat similar superstition that 

 prevails in other places, to the effect that the catching of a 

 white mole presages the death of its captor, or in some cases 

 of the head of the house upon whose land it is killed. On 

 the other hand, I was informed by another person that the 

 head of a white mole was one of the best charms that could 

 be used in " un-witching," or breaking a spell of ill-luck ; a 

 rite that was of frequent observance in these parts up to 

 well within living memory, and has probably not yet quite 

 died out amongst the mountains. 



