294 



THE INSECT-EATING ANIMALS. 



especrally in youth; and they have a still more 

 dangerous enemy in the Screech-Owls which con- 

 stantly prey upon these animals wherever they can 

 find them. 



Uses of the The flesh of the Hedgehog is proba- 

 Hedgehog in the bly eaten only by Gypsies and simi- 

 Past. lar wandering tribes, who have in- 



vented a special mode of cooking it. The "chef" 

 covers the Hedgehog with a thick layer of well 

 kneaded, sticky clay, and puts it into the fire, turn- 

 ing it carefully at regular intervals; As soon as the 

 clay has become hard and dry, the roast is taken 

 out of the fire, set to cool, and then the outer layer 

 is broken off, removing with it all the spines, which 

 are embedded in the earth. The Romans used the 

 bristly skin to card their woollen shawls, and Hedge- 

 hog skins were therefore largely employed as an 

 article of commerce, the gains being so considerable 

 that the trade had 6 , / 



to be regulated by ^' • "^*' 



laws passed by the 

 Roman senate. The 

 skin with its spines 

 was also used as a 

 flax-comb. Even 

 to the present day 

 some farmers are 

 said to make use 

 of a Hedgehog 

 skin when they 

 wish to wean a Calf. 

 They tie a piece of 

 the skin to the 

 Calf's nose and 

 leave it to the 

 mother to drive 

 away the young 

 animal, which nat- 

 urally annoys her extremely when it wears such 

 a nose piece. Occasionally a Hedgehog skin in its 

 natural shape is manufactured into a queer, bristly 

 -cap by hatters. 



COMMON AMEAICAN MOLE. The Mole most common in the eastern portion of 



the United States. Its liabits are in every way similar to those of the Common Mole of Europe, 

 although its burrows are not, perhaps, so elaborately constructed as those of .its European 

 cousin. (Scatops aquaiicus;) i 



XTbe flDoles. 



SECOND FAMILY: Tai,pid^. 



The Insect-Eating animals which follow the 

 Hedgehogs, and which we consider as animals of 

 iairly high order, on account of their forelegs being 

 developed into perfect scoops for digging, live 

 almost completely in underground retreats where 

 they lead a life peculiar in every respect. 

 General Descrip- The Moles are disseminated over 

 tion of the nearly all Europe, a great part of Asia, 

 Moles. southern Africa and North America. 



Their varieties are not numerous, but it is possible, 

 however, that there are still a great many species of 

 Moles as yet unknown to naturalists. The Moles 

 are all shaped and endowed in so striking a manner 

 as to be instantly recognizable. The body is stout 

 and of cylindrical shape, and merges into a small 

 head without the intervention of a distinct neck. 

 The head is elongated and tapers into a kind of pro- 

 boscis, while the eyes and ears are little developed 

 and from the external view are barely seen, or else 

 entirely invisible. The body is supported on short 

 legs; the forward pair appear to be relatively gigan- 

 tic digging tools, while the hind limbs are longer 

 and slender and resemble those of the Rat; the tail 



is short or altogether absent. The teeth are from 

 thirty-six to forty-four in number. The structure 

 and position of the fore legs imply a degree of com- 

 parative strength in the upper part of the chest, such 

 as no other animal possesses. The shoulder-blade 

 is the narrowest and longest, the clavicle the thick- 

 est and longest found among the Insectivora;. the 

 upper arm is exceedingly broad, the lower one 

 strong and stout. The wrist is composed of .ten 

 bones. It is evident that these gigantic fore limbs 

 can serve only for digging; they are such effective 

 scoops that it would seem impossible to improve 

 upon them. Particularly strong muscles are attached 

 to these bones, and from this muscular development 

 the remarkable relative strength of the animal's fore 

 part is derived. 



Moles all delight in fertile plains, though they 

 are not absent in mountains. Being children of 



darkness, the effect 

 of light is painful- 

 to them. Therefore 

 they seldom, of 

 their own free will, 

 come to the surface 

 and even in the 

 depth of the earth 

 they are more act- 

 ive by night than 

 by day. Their bod- 

 ily structure is not 

 adapted to a life on 

 the upper surface. 

 They can neither 

 leap nor climb, and 

 can scarcely walk 

 properly, though 

 some of them pro- 

 ceed at a rapid 

 pace, touching the ground only with the soles of 

 their hind feet and the iiiner edge of the forepaws. 

 Their movements in their underground passages are 

 much more rapid, and the dexterity with which they 

 dig is marvelous. They are also good swimmers, 

 although they resort to this mode of locomotion 

 only when compelled by necessity. Their broad fore- 

 paws are effectual oars and the strong arms are less 

 readily wearied in the water than, they are by digging. 

 Physical and Of the senses of the Moles those 

 Mental Traits of of smell, hearing and touch are es- 

 Moles. pecially well developed, while that 



of sight 'is very deficient. The voice finds utter- 

 ance in hissing and squeaking sounds. The mental 

 capacity is slight, though not to such an extent as 

 is generally believed. The so-called bad qualities 

 however seem to be much more strongly developed 

 than the good ones, for all Moles are highly quar- 

 relsome, sanguinary creatures, addicted to vicious 

 biting and surpassing even the Tiger in cruelty, 

 devouring their own kind with pleasure whenever 

 they encounter them. Their food is exclusively of 

 an animal nature, for they never eat anything of a 

 vegetable character. All kinds of insects living 

 underground, worms and the like, form the main 

 portion of their food; but they also feed on small 

 mammals and birds. Frogs and Snails, whenever 

 they can. Their voracity equals their activity, and 

 as they can endure hunger only for a very short 

 time without injury to themselves, they do not hi- 

 bernate. For this very reason they become useful 

 as exterminators of insects; but their digging pro- 

 pensities cause them to be considered a nuisance. 



