THE MOLES. 



123 



in a prolongation which serves as a pro- 

 boscis. The cylindrical often very compact 

 body is broader in front in consequence of 

 the enormous development of the region of 

 the shoulders, and in consequence of the 



fact that the fore-limbs are almost hidden 

 in the fur. These limbs end in two short 

 but broad spade -like paws, and are armed 

 with long, flat claws with cutting edges. The 

 hinder part of the body is weak, the tail is 



i," 



Fig. 53-—'^ Kimily <-! ilc 



sometimes rudimentary or quite absent, some- 

 times long; the eyes either very small and 

 hidden among the hair, or even quite covered 

 over by the skin. External ears are alto- 

 gether wanting. All burrowers lead an essen- 

 tially subterranean life, and seldom come to 

 the surface. Living almost entirely on animal 

 food they hunt after subterranean vermin, 

 of which they destroy great quantities. In 

 pursuing their prey they tunnel their way 

 through the earth with great rapidity. They 

 are all extraordinarily voracious, indeed in- 

 satiable. Cruel and savage, they live a her- 

 mit's life in their chambers, the males seeking 

 the females only during the pairing season. 

 Usually a male can secure a female for itself 



uui;:5 \l:f tHULtUi cUfupu 10,). 



only after engaging in violent battles with 

 rivals. 



The Moles {Talpidd). 

 With five toes on the fore-paws. 



Our common mole ( Talpa europceci), fig. 54, 

 may be taken as the type of this group, so 

 rich in genera and species. 



Who has not seen it hanging from a trap, 

 with its sausage-shaped body, its sharp conical 

 head, its snout supported by an internal car- 

 tilaginous rod, its broad naked fore-paws 

 turned outwards and armed with short broad 

 sickle-shaped claws, with which a sabre-shaped 

 ploughshare bone is combined in order to 

 make the whole spade as broad as possible.'' 



