14 ANIMAL LIFE OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



heaving of the fresh heap of soil, and after a short interval the 

 sharp, black snout of the Mole will be pushed up from the centre 

 to sniff the air and ascertain if it is safe for him to make a fuller 

 appearance. Satisfied that it is so, he exhibits his shoulders 

 and the broad shovel-shaped hands with which he has accom- 

 plished all this navigator's work. Now he is right out, even to 

 his ridiculous little tail, and so to speak swimming over the 

 turf for he cannot walk on his forefeet, the hands being set 

 sideways for his shovelling work. 



Why has he come up? We can only surmise that he is 

 satiated with the luscious earth-worms and beetle-grubs that 

 live under our lawn, and is looking around for some more 

 substantial fare a dead bird or mouse, perhaps, for he is by no 

 means averse from picking bones for a change, though his 

 structure makes it impossible for him to catch any of the 

 vertebrates alive, but he can kill and eat a smaller or weaker 

 Mole,,and has been reported to attack birds, lizards, frogs, and 

 snakes ; he will not touch vegetable food. His appetite is 

 almost insatiable, and there is little substance in his under- 

 ground fare, which impels him ever to increase his sources of 

 supply by boring fresh runs. There ! your movement alarmed 

 him, and he has dived to earth again in the soft mould of the 

 border. 



It is not only in the garden that we may see the Mole and 

 his work. He is perhaps more active in the meadow and the 

 cornfield, where he has a wider range for his long straight main 

 run and the side runs that branch off from it. In either of these 

 places he is actually much more of a nuisance than in our 

 garden difficult though it may be for the garden-owner to 

 realise this. When the hay or the wheat has to be reaped the 

 lines of hillocks across the field are an impediment to the 

 reaping machines. So the farmer has to set traps to minimise 

 the nuisance as much as possible. When these are of the bent 

 hazel rod and noose variety we may find the trapped Mole 



