Scientific Intelligence. — JVatural History. 887 



approached the toad, the latter swelled up, and the former turned 

 away his snout as if disgusted. Roots of carrot, cabbage, lettuce, 

 and nothing else, were then put in and left with the mole all night. 

 Next morning the mole was dead, the roots scarely touched, the bit- 

 ten fragments still remaining. The mole, therefore, is not an herbiv- 

 orous animal, and only destroys roots to get at the worms, insects, 

 and larvae within. 



Three other moles were put separately, with vegetable food, as 

 leaves, roots, Sic. One died without at all touching the food, the 

 other two also died, after slightly attacking the leaves, &,c. only in 

 their search for animal food. On the contrary, moles were preserved 

 for a long time, by giving them sparrows and frogs, or even butcher's 

 meat, and sometimes worms, snails, and wood-lice. 



Two moles having been put into a room without food, some hours 

 after, they were found the one pursuing the other, not a moment's 

 cessation occurring ; by the next morning, the stronger had eaten the 

 weaker. 



With regard to the time during which a mole can fast, from ten to 

 twelve hours appear to be the maximum ; at the end of that time 

 they die. In three or four hours, they become very hungry, and in 

 five or six hours exceedingly weak. Eating always seems to refresh 

 them perfectly, and, as happens with all carnivorous animals, they are 

 very desirous of drinking when they eat : the contrary is observed 

 with herbivorous animals. It is doubtful whether any other animal 

 exists, which is obliged to eat at such short intervals as this. 



From what precedes, it is evident that the mole is essentially a car- 

 nivorous animal. A new instance of the admirable relation which 

 connects organization with manners, and functions with organs ; and 

 a new proof, that whenever there appears to be a contradiction be- 

 tween one of these things and the other, it is because in the one or 

 the other, the organization or the habits, have been badly observed. 



M. Flourens remarks, that it will be interesting to observe in what 

 degree the other insectivious, all classed in. fact by M. Cuvier in the 

 great family of Camassicus, are really carnivorous ; and especially 

 what determinate modifications of their digestive organs correspond 

 to the various modifications of their regimen : that of the hedgehog, 

 for instance, which can eat fruits as well as insects, and that of the 

 shrewmouse, which ought to live entirely on prey, if we judge by the 

 shortness of their intestinal canal, which, as in true carnivorous ani- 

 mals, like the tiger, lion, he, is only about three times the length of 

 the body. — Idem. 



