MOLES. 337 



resemble the common European mole, with which they also agree in that, during 

 the late autumn, when the surface of the ground becomes frozen, they follow the 

 worms downwards until a plane is reached where the frost has not penetrated. By 

 following the ridge of loose earth which marks the progress of one of these moles 

 in a garden, and quickly sinking a spade in the creature's path, a few inches in 

 advance of the moving earth, it is frequently possible to turn a specimen out upon 

 the surface. So quickly, however, do these animals pass through the soft soil of a 

 garden, that the spade, although aimed several inches in front of the moving earth, 

 will not unfrequently cut them in two. 



Although the precise function of the peculiar disc of tentacles round the muzzle 

 is not yet definitely ascertained, it appears highly probable that it acts as a sensitive 

 organ of touch to aid its owner in discovering the whereabouts of the worms and 

 insects encountered during its subterranean wanderings. In the newly -born young 

 these tentacles are so small as to be scarcely perceptible. A nest examined by Dr. 

 Merriarn contained three young ones. 



THE TRUE MOLES. 

 Genus Talpa. 



The Old World moles may be at once distinguished from all their North 

 American cousins by having the first upper incisor tooth scarcely larger than the 

 second. With the exception of a single species from Eastern Tibet, the whole of 

 the Old World moles are included in the genus Talpa, of which the typical 

 representative is the common European mole (T. europcea). The members of this 

 genus, nine in number, are distributed over temperate Europe and Asia, two of the 

 Asiatic species being found to the south of the 

 Himalaya. As a rule, there is the typical number 

 of forty-four teeth, but a few of the species have 

 not quite so many, owing to the loss either of the 

 lower canine tooth or of the first upper premolar ; 

 while in one species the first premolar is wanting 

 in both jaws. All are characterised by the width 



P , -, f f UPPER AND LOWE^R SURFACE OF RIGHT 



Of the fore-foot. FORE-FOOT OF MOLE. 



As we entered at considerable length into 



the structure and habits of some of the American moles, our remarks on those 

 of the Old World may be comparatively brief, as there is a great similarity 

 between the two. It is remarkable that, as the European hedgehog differs from 

 all the other species of its genus, so the European mole is distinguished from all its 

 congeners by the absence of a membrane covering the eyes. Nearly or all the 

 moles are normally black in colour, with a more or less pronounced greyish lustre 

 when viewed in certain lights ; but pied, buff, or white varieties are not very 

 uncommon. The naked feet are flesh-coloured. The different species of moles show 

 considerable variation as regards the relative length of the tail. Thus, whereas in 

 the European mole the length of the head and body is about 5 inches and that of 

 the tail 1 inch, in the Himalayan short-tailed mole (T. micrura) the naked tail is 



VOL. I. 22 



