446 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



quantity of food, he says, which it would eat in one day 

 was astonishing ; more than its own weight I am sure. During 

 the first three days it disposed of three or four dozen earth- 

 worms, a large frog, a quantity of raw beef, the body of one 

 turkey-pout, and part of a second, and one or two black slugs.* 



In its eager pursuit of earthworms, the Mole has been 

 observed to follow them above ground (Zool. 1883, p 76), and on 

 wet and dewy evenings, to hunt above ground, like a dog, for 

 worms or slugs (Zool. 1872, p. 3182). 



A mole-catcher informed Mr. Jesse, that previous to the 

 setting in of winter, the Mole prepares a sort of basin in a bed 

 of clay, which will hold about a quart, and in this it deposits a 

 quantity of worms, partly mutilated to prevent their escape. 

 On these worms the moles feed during the winter months. 

 The mole-catcher added, that when he found few of these 

 basins in autumn, he knew the winter would be a mild one.t 



Another view, however, has been expressed with regard to 

 those " stores," namely, that they are made as provision for 

 the young which are born in March or April.! The observer 

 examined " a round cavity, the sides of which were beaten hard 

 by the Mole, so as to prevent the worms from attempting to 

 pierce their way. Inside this there was nearly a quart of fine 

 worms, quite free from any admixture of soil, each worm 

 apparently tied up in a coil or knot, yet all alive." 



There is no direct evidence to show that these were intended 

 as provision for the young, which would probably be suckled by 

 the parent until able to shift for themselves. It is more likely 

 that they were intended for a winter store, to which the Mole can 

 resort when the ground is too hard for tunnelling. It seems 

 doubtful, however, whether the worms could live long in such 

 a condition, for if unable to make their escape they would 

 themselves die for want of nourishment. 



According to Bell (p. 183) the period of gestation " is sup- 

 posed to be about two months or upwards ;" but Jesse states that 

 the female goes a month with young, and has never more than 

 six or less than two at a birth. The nest, which is formed by 



* ' Zoologist,' 1865, p. 9707. 



f Jesse's ' Gleanings in Nat. Hist.,' 2nd ser., p. 20. 



j ' Zoologist,' 1875, p. 4493. 



