Feb., 191 2. Mammals of Illinois and Wisconsin — Cory. 433 



Family TALPID^E. Moles. 



The Moles are allied to the Shrews, but differ in having a zygoma- 

 tic arch and audital bullae, as well as in the form of the teeth. The 

 last are white and not red-tipped as in our species of Shrews. The 

 fur is soft and velvety; the eyes are very small and often rudimentary. 

 There is no noticeable external ear; the fore feet are very large, being 

 greatly modified for digging; and the neck is so short as to be appar- 

 ently lacking. The sternum is provided with a well developed ''keel" 

 which supports the large pectoral muscle required on account of th^ 

 burrowing habits of these animals; the caecum is absent. 



The members of the family are confined, so far as known, to the 

 temporate regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Most of the 

 species live in burrows in the ground and a few are semi-aquatic. 

 Their food consists principally of insects, ants, worms, etc. Five 

 genera and about 20 species and subspecies are found in North America, 

 of which two genera, one species and one subspecies occur within our 

 limits. 



The European Mole (Talpa europcea) was the subject of much 

 discussion by ancient naturalists. The earliest writers considered 

 it to be a kind of blind Mouse but Topsell takes exception to this, 

 stating that all Mice have ''two longe crooked foreteeth which is not 

 in Moles." He also says, "These beasts are all blind and want eies, 

 and therefore came the proverbe, Talpa ccecior tuphloteros alpalacos, 

 blinder than a Mole; to signifie, a man without all judgment, wit, or 

 fore-sight; for it is most elegantly apply ed to the minde, yet if any 

 man looke earnestly upon the places where the eies should grow, he 

 shall perceive a little passage, by drawing up the membrane or little 

 skinne which is black, and therefore of them in this manner probably. 



"All kinds of Moles want their sight, because they have not their 

 eies open and naked as other beasts, but if a man pull up the skinne of 

 their browes about the place of their eies, which is thicke and shawd- 

 oweth their sight, he shal perceive in them inward covered eies : . . . 

 the young ones before birth have eies, but after birth, living continually 

 in the darke earth without light, they cease to grow to any perfection; 

 for indeede they neede them not."* 



Proof of the antiquity of the proverb, ''Even a worm will turn," is 

 shown in Topsell's account of the habits of these animals. He says: 

 "When the wormes are followed by Molds (for by digging and heaving 



* Historie of Foure Footed Beastcs, London, 1607, p. 499. 



