ANIMALS. 317 



oiJy mnde them very small, but very closely covered them with 

 hair. Anatomists mention, besides these advantages, another 

 that confaibutes to their security ; namely, a certain muscle, by 

 which the animal can draw back the eye vi'henever it is necessary 

 or in danger. 



As the eye is thus perfectly fitted to the animal's situation, so 

 also are the senses of hearing and smelling. The first gives it 

 otice of the most distant appearance of danger ; the other 

 directs it, in the midst of darkness, to its food. The wants of a 

 siibteiTaneous animal can be but few ; and these are sufficient 

 to supply them ; to eat, and to produce its kind, are the whole 

 emj)loyment of such a life ; and for both these purposes it is 

 wonderfully adapted by nature.^ 



Thus admirably is this animal fitted for a life of darkness and 

 solitude ; with no appetites but what it can easily indulge, with 

 no enemies but what it can easily evade or conquer. As soon 

 as it has once buried itself in the earth, it seldom stirs out un- 

 less forced by violent rains in simimer ; or, when in pursuit of 

 its prey, it happens to come too near the surface, and thus gets 

 into the open air, which may be considered as its unnatural ele- 

 ment. In general, it chooses the looser, softer gi'ounds, beneath 

 which it can travel with greater ease ; in such also it generally 

 finds the greatest number of worms and insects, upon which it 

 chiefly preys. It is observed to be most active, and to cast up 

 most earth, immediately before rain ; and, in winter, before a 

 thaw : at those times the worms and insects begin to be in mo- 

 tion, and approach the surface, whither this industrious animal 

 pursues them. On the contrary, in very dry weather, the mole 

 seldom or never forms any hillocks ; for then it is obliged U 

 penetrate deeper after its prey, which at such seasons retire fat 

 into ths ground. 



As the moles very seldom come above ground, they have but 

 few enemies ; and very readily evade the piu-suit of animals 



2 Testes liabet maximos, parastatas amplissimas, novum corpus seminal e 

 ab his divcrsiun ac separatum. Penem ctiam facile omniiun, ni fallor, aui. 

 mrtlium longissimum, ex quibus coUigere est maximam pra» reliquis oiiiiii. 

 isus animalibus voliiptatom in coitu, lioc abjectum et vile animaU'uliun 

 percipere, ut habeant quod ipsi invideaut qui in hoc supremas vitoe sua? <lf- 

 lirias coUocaut : Ray's Synops. Quadrup. p. •239. Huic opinioui asseiititur 

 D. Bufton, attamen non mihi apparet iriiignitudinem partiimi talcra volup- 

 t.itcm augeie. Maribus euim salacissimis (.ontrarium obtinet. 



