INSECT-EATING ANIMALS. 189 



it does the sides of its nest and its permanent 

 passage to its hunting ground, so it soon falls in. 



The mole makes the passage to its hunting 

 ground compact by pressing the earth tight on 

 either side, and thus forcing a passage, instead of 

 throwing it up above ground. 



When, therefore, you see a depression in the 

 ground, you know that underneath this depression 

 there runs a compact passage made by the mole 

 from its nest to its hunting ground, and when 

 you see mole hills towards the end of the depres- 

 sion, you know that this is the area where moles 

 are actually on the hunt. 



The mole sleeps in its nest during the time it 

 is not digging and searching for food. Three 

 times a day it goes forth on the hunt for insects, 

 each morning, mid-day, and before sunset. 



It is said to devour daily more food than its 

 own weight. And it eats wire worms, grubs, 

 snails, earth caterpillars, mole crickets, and other 

 earth inhabiting insects, as well as their larvae. 

 It also eats earth worms, but the benefit of this is 

 doubtful. It may do harm by rooting up plants 

 as it makes its heaps, and these heaps are 

 naturally a great nuisance in hay and corn fields. 



Grass and grain suffer little, if at all, by the 

 work of the mole. Other plants suffer more. Moles 

 never gnaw plants. It does not fall into a winter 

 sleep. It has three to seven young at a birth, 



