MARCH 39 



ruffled, is very short and close and exceed- 

 ingly dry. Indeed I know no animal with 

 a more velvety coat. He would be a delight- 

 ful pet to handle were it not for his cease- 

 less wriggling. Then too he carries a strong 

 musky odor. This latter, indeed, is his 

 only defence and I fear it is a poor one. 

 Certainly it does not usually deter a dog 

 from snapping him up. But perhaps it is 

 meant for his friends rather than his foes. 

 Congenial moles may scent each other from 

 afar, being denied the, to us at least, clearer 

 recognition of the eye. 



The mole is a reversible machine. He 

 can run forward or backward at will. 

 Probably as a result of this habit, it is won- 

 derful how alike are the two ends of his 

 body, his nose and his tail. Each is slender 

 and each is bare; each is very sensitive, 

 and the tail is just about as long as the nose. 

 I think he uses whichever happens to pre- 

 cede, as a feeler, when he is making his way 

 through his tunnel. For once having made 

 a good big runway, he is very apt to keep 

 on using it through the season. I doubt 



