such incalculable damage to every crop and against which our 

 boasted human wisdom can contrive no defense. 



He will die of starvation rather than live on a vegetable diet 

 and his appetite for worms is so voracious that his death is only a 

 question of hours when deprived of them. Valuable, therefore, for 

 both his sake and our own, is a knowledge of the real purpose of the 

 mole, whose study also reveals a striking example of the fitness 

 with which many an animal is designed for an appointed task. His 

 six-inch body possesses a cylindrical form which allows free passage 

 through any opening large enough for the head and shoulders. Then 

 there is the remarkable adaptation of the short gray fur, whose vel- 

 vety smoothness and straight erectness of direction aid his conve- 

 nience and preserve his cleanliness by readily shedding the dirt with 

 which he comes in contact. Even more noteworthy are his instru- 

 ments for digging. The snout-shaped head ends in a sharp nose 

 which projects half an inch beyond the mouth and is equipped with 



216 



