248 IXSECTIVORA. 



beneath directly with the road, and above with the upper 

 gallery — this with the lower five passages, and the 

 latter again with the road by no less than nine — exhibit 

 altogether a complication of architecture which may rival 

 the most celebrated erections of the beaver. 



"But the labors of the mole are not confined to the 

 excavations already mentioned. In lands newly sown in 

 summer with barley or turnips, the surface of which is 

 consequently light and yielding, after a moderate rain 

 has brought the earth-worms to the surface, the mole 

 follows them and pursues its chase along the super- 

 ficial layer of the soil, digging a shallow continuous 

 trench, in which work it advances with great rapidity. 

 This is done by merely forcing its way through the light 

 soil, and thus lifting it up; and mole-catchers take advan- 

 tage of these times to steal softly upon them, and throw 

 them out of the, ground with their paddle. But great 

 quickness is necessary in doing this, for the mole will 

 bury itself again so rapidly as often to escape, even when 

 fairly thrown on to the surface. We have on more than 

 one occasion seen a mole making so shallow a run that 

 tlie fine soil has fallen away on each side, leaving the 

 creature's back exposed to view. It is said that the 

 gravid female, to whom the usual excavations in the 

 subterranean alleys would be too laborious, limits herself 

 principally to this lighter toil." 



