338 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



the edge. They used to bite him sometimes, but never to 

 hurt. 



Latterly, trapping is being supplanted by poisoning. 

 Thread is soaked in strychnine, and worms are threaded 

 and put into the runs. Experts tell me it is not suc- 

 cessful in killing the moles, though it often drives them 

 elsewhere. 



Besides man, the mole has many enemies, the most for- 

 midable of which, especially to the young, are crows, rats, 

 weasels, and stoats, for they will all eat moles, and all three 

 take possession of the borings afterwards as well, young rats 

 often being caught by terriers in mole-runs. 



And lastly, the unscrupulous mole-catcher, who owes a 

 farmer a grudge, will quietly go to a nest in season and 

 take some well-grown youngsters into his pocket, and turn 

 them off on the farmer's land, where the young hopefuls 

 begin "skimming." 



And such is the story of this wonderful little animal, that 

 builds his home with hands and not without them, as the 

 garrulous and inconsequent have stated. 



