THE HAIRY-TAILED MOLE. 



IN THE March number of Birds and 

 All Nature the common Ameri- 

 can mole, which is the most com- 

 mon species in the eastern portion 

 of the United States, is described, and 

 the habits of moles, which are identical, 

 were rather fully set forth. The hairy- 

 tailed mole {Scapajtus breweri) is found 

 principally in the western part of the 

 United States. 



This little animal has so many 

 enemies besides man, as polecats, owls, 

 ravens, storks, and the like, who watch 

 it as it throws up its hillocks, that it is 

 a wonder it has not been exterminated. 

 It betrays its home by its own handi- 

 work, as it is obliged constantly to con- 

 struct new hillocks in order to earn its 

 living. These hillocks always indicate 

 the direction and extent of its hunting- 

 grounds. The little weasels pursue it 

 in its conduits, where it also frequently 

 falls a prey to the adder. Only foxes, 

 weasels, hedgehogs, and the birds 

 already mentioned, eat it. 



"Take the mole out of its proper 

 sphere," says Wood, "and it is awkward 

 and clumsy, but replace it in the famil- 

 iar earth, and it becomes a different 

 being — full of life and energy, and 

 actuated by a fiery activity which seems 

 quite inconsistent with its dull aspect 

 and seemingly inert form. The absence 

 of any external indication of eyes com- 

 municates a peculiar dullness to the 

 creature's look, and the formation of 

 the fore-limbs gives an indescribable 

 awkwardness to its gait. In the ground 

 only is it happy, for there 6nly can it 

 develop its various capabilities. No 

 one can witness the eagerness with 

 which it flings itself upon its prey, and 

 the evident enjoyment with which it 

 consumes its hapless victim without 

 perceiving that the creature is exult- 



antly happy in its own peculiar way. 

 His whole life is one of fury, and he 

 eats like a starving tiger, tearing and 

 rending his prey with claws and teeth. 

 A mole has been seen to fling itself 

 upon a small bird, tear its body open, 

 and devour it while still palpitating 

 with life. 'Nothing short of this fiery 

 energy could sustain an animal in the 

 life-long task of forcing itself through 

 the solid earth.'" 



The hidden habitation of the mole 

 is described as a nearly spherical cham- 

 ber, the roof of which is nearly on a 

 level with the earth around the hill, 

 and therefore situated at a considerable 

 depth from the apex of the heap. 

 Around this are driven two circular 

 galleries — one just level with the ceil- 

 ing, and the other at some height above. 

 The upper circle is much smaller than 

 the lower. Five short, descending pas- 

 sages connect the galleries with each 

 other, but the only entrance into the 

 inner apartment is from the upper gal- 

 lery, out of which three passages lead 

 into the ceiling. It will be seen, there- 

 fore, that when a mole enters the 

 house from one of its tunnels, it has 

 first to get into the lower gallery, to 

 ascend thence to the upper gallery, 

 and so descend into its chamber. There 

 is another entrance from below, how- 

 ever, by a passage which dips down- 

 ward from the center of the chamber, 

 and then, taking a curve upward, opens 

 into one of the larger tunnels. 



The mole comes from the earth with 

 unsoiled fur, which is due in part to the 

 peculiar character of the hair, and 

 partly to strong membraneous muscles 

 beneath the skin, by means of which 

 the animal gives itself a frequent and 

 powerful shake. 



