THE SLEPEZ. 345 



he throws back the earth towards his hind feet. 

 These, from their peculiar shape, enable him to back 

 this dirt out of the hole, using them like two scrapers, 

 only that he pushes the dirt away instead of pulling 

 it towards himself. Having backed the dirt clear of 

 the mouth of the hole, he throws it out over the edge 

 of the open cutting. After having dug some distance, 

 and finding, I dare say, the labour of backing out 

 rather irksome, he digs up through the ground to the 

 surface, makes another open cutting, and then begins 

 a new hole or tunnel, and disappears into the earth 

 again. When he has gone as far from his dormitory 

 as he deems wise, he again digs through, and clears 

 away the rubbish. This road is now complete, so he 

 goes back again to his central mansion, to begin 

 others at his leisure. 



" He is a night-feeder, and exposed to terrible 

 dangers from the various small carnivova that prowl 

 about like bandits in the dark stoats, weasels, mar- 

 tens, and skunks. So to avoid and escape these 

 enemies, he comes quietly along the subterranean 

 roadways, and cautiously emerging at the open 

 cutting, feels about with his wonderful nose ; and, I 

 doubt not, guided by a sense of smell, pounces upon 

 larvae, slugs, beetles, or any nocturnal creeping thing 

 he can catch ; and so traversing his different hunting 

 trails during the night, manages in that way to fare 

 sumptuously and safe from danger. 



"It is scarcely possible to imagine a more skilfully 

 contrived hunting system, to avoid danger and facili- 

 tate escape, than are these tunnel trails with open 

 cuttings. For the shy little hunter has, on the slightest 



