THE MOLE. 2/3 



Mole-hills Mode of living. 



iher to go out in quest of food for herself and 

 her offspring. These bye-paths extend about 

 twelve or fifteen feet, and issue from the princi- 

 pal mansion like rays from a centre. 



It seldom forms its hole more than five or six 

 inches under the surface. In the act of this, it 

 scrapes the earth before it on one side, till the 

 quantity becomes too great for it to labour on- 

 wards with facility : then works towards the sur- 

 face; and by pushing with its head, and the as- 

 sistance of its nervous paws, gradually raises the 

 mould which incommodes it, and thus produces 

 those small hills so common in our fields. After 

 getting rid of the earth in this manner, it proceeds 

 forwards, and resumes its labour; and the num- 

 ber of moles contained in a certain space of 

 ground may be easily ascertained by counting 

 the new-raised inole-hills, which have no com- 

 munication with each other. 



These animals live in pairs; and such is the 

 warmth of their -mutual attachment, that they 

 seem to disrelish all other society. In their 

 gloomy abodes they enjoy the placid habits of 

 repose and of solitude; they also have the art of 

 securing themselves from injury, of almost in- 

 stantaneously making an asylum or habitation, 

 and of obtaining a plentiful subsistence without 

 the necessity of going abroad. They shut up 

 the entrance to their retreats ; and seldom leave 

 them, unless compelled by the admission of wa- 



NO. vi. 2 M 



