ORDER CARNASSIER. 23 



in these animals is extremely fine, and the tympanum 

 remarkably large, though the external ear is wanting. 

 The eye, however, is very small, and so much con- 

 cealed by the hair, that its very existence was for a 

 long time denied. The jaws of the mole are feeble, 

 and its nutriment consists of insects, worms, and 

 some tender roots. This tribe have six incisives 

 above and eight below. 



Our Common Mole, (Talpa Europaa, Lin.) Buff. VIII. xii. 



Pointed muzzle, hair fine and black, Some in- 

 dividuals are found white, fawn-coJoured, and 

 pied. This animal is extremely troublesome 

 from the derangement it causes in cultivated 

 grounds. 



The radiaed Mole of Canada, (Talpa cristata, Sorex 

 cristatus, Lin*.) 



The two nostrils are surrounded with small 

 points, cartilaginous and moveable, which when 

 separated into radii, resemble a kind of star. 

 It is less than our mole, blackish, and the tail, 

 one half shorter than the body, is slightly co- 

 vered with hair. 



THE CARNIVORA 



Will form a third family of the Carnassiers. 

 Though the epithet of Carnassiers is suitable to all 

 unguiculated animals with three sorts of teeth, ex- 



* We have satisfied ourselves by the inspection of its teeth that 

 it is a true mole, and not a sorex. It is the condyliura of Illiger; 

 but its characters, taken from the figure of La Faille and Buff, 

 supp. VI. xxxvii., are false. 



