20 ANIMAL LIFE OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



The Mole does not hibernate : the demands of his appetite 

 appear to preclude the possibility of a long fast, even if 

 dormant. 



Old names, still extant in some districts, are Moldwarp, 

 Moudiewarp, Wunt, Want (in the " Epinal Glossary " of about 

 A.D. 700, spelled Wand). Its feet, carried in the pocket, are a 

 rustic specific for rheumatism. 



Though Adams refrained from eating adult Mole, warned as 

 he tells us by the dark flesh and musky odour, he experimented 

 with a couple of milk-fed young, ten days old, and had them 

 boiled. Eaten without salt or other condiment, he says he 

 " found them excellent, much like Rabbit, the flesh being white 

 and very tender." 



The Mole's position in human regard has always been equi- 

 vocal. The gamekeeper has accused him of sucking partridge's 

 eggs, and the farmer has pointed to his young wheat plants 

 turned out of the ground as the Mole ran a surface furrow across 

 the cornfield. Against this in former days the farmer would credit 

 him with the wholesale destruction of earthworms ; nowadays, 

 however, the farmer has more enlightened views on the subject 

 of earthworms, and their destruction must go into the debit 

 side of the account. But the Mole does not live on worms 

 alone, though chiefly : his runs must cross the track of many a 

 grub wireworm, leather-jacket, and fat cockchafer-grub, for 

 examples, and slugs and snails on the surface that the farmer 

 would gladly have removed ; and it is not likely that the Mole 

 pushes such fare from him untasted. Then, again, one must 

 remember the agricultural value of the little black engineer who 

 carries out so efficient a system of surface drainage, and im- 

 proves the pasture by bringing to the surface fresh soil from 

 below. There is, however, no mercy shown, no redeeming 

 virtue admitted, in the case of the Mole who sins against society 

 by running his tunnels under the tennis-lawn or golf-green, and 

 spoiling their levels by thrusting up his unsightly rubbish heaps. 



