AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 391 



Moles are exceedingly active in April and May, during the pairing sea- 

 son, when the tunnels become very numerous, for the purpose of meeting 

 each other. I do not believe that they are blind, from the fact that I 

 have never observed that the mole-hills increase except in the day-time, 

 showing that they do not work by night, which they would probably do if 

 deprived of sight. They commence very early in the morning, when you 

 may often see the mould, or grass, moving over them ; you may then 

 readily cut off their retreat, by thrusting in the ground a spade directly 

 behind them, when they may be dug out very easily and killed by the 

 attendant terrier. By placing your ear on a newly-raised hill, you may hear 

 them scratching at a considerable distance, and thus be able to find them. 

 You may always discover the locality of their young by observing the hills 

 which are larger and the color different, a portion of the sub-soil beino- 

 thrown upon top. If you desire to set traps in their tunnels, it will be 

 necessary to discover which are the frequented streets and which the by- 

 roads. 



This may be accomplished by pressing the foot lightly on the hill, and if 

 the mole passes that way he will nearly obliterate the mark. You may 

 then set a subterranean trap, and he will be caught. These may be made 

 from a piece of wood, in a hollow, semi-cylinder form, with grooved rincs 

 at each end, in which are placed the nooses of horse-hair, one at each end 

 fastened by a peg in the centre, and stretched above ground by a bent stick • 

 when the mole has passed through one of the nooses, and removed the 

 central peg, the bent stick, by its elasticity, rises and strangles the animal. 

 The structure of this quadruped adapts it admirably to the undero-round 

 life that it leads. Its head is very long, conical in shape, and tapers to 

 the snout, which is much strengthened by a bone, gristle, and very power- 

 ful muscles. The body is cylindrical, very thick on the back of the head 

 from which it diminishes to the tail. It does not appear to have any neck, 

 but where it should be, there is a mass of muscles, all of which appear to 

 act upon the fore legs and head. These are the instruments with which he 

 excavates the ground ; they are harder, shorter, and stronger in proportion 

 to the size of the animal, than in any of the mammiferous class. 



I have never destroyed one of these little animals, because I consider 

 the damage they do to a few roots of grass is entirely counterbalanced 

 by the immense destruction by them of wire-worms, slugs, &c., besides 

 aerating, disintegrating, and lightening the soil, and thus fitting it admira- 

 bly for the purposes of top dressing. 



I never permit the common crow to be destroyed, because he preserves 

 my corn-fields from numerous enemies, keeps off hawks, destroys slufs, 

 snails, grubs, and eats carrion. Nor the black snake, whose constant 

 employment seems to be the destruction of field mice, and other enemies to 

 the orchard. Nor the cherry bird, because he is always on hand ready to 

 eat the first cherries that ripen prematurely, which invariably contain the 

 worm. Nor the king bird, wren or robin, all of which are employed from 

 dawn to dusk in relieving me from my enemies. 



