Family TALPID-^. 

 Genus Talpa. 



THE COMMON MOLE. 



Talpa europcea, Linnaeus. 

 Plate 8. 



Living an almost entirely underground life, the form of the Mole is 

 wonderfully adapted for this kind of existence, the elongated flexible 

 snout, cylindrical body, and great muscular power of the forearm and 

 hand enabling it to make its subterranean galleries with great ease and 

 speed. 



The hands or forefeet, armed with strong claws, usually turn out- 

 wards from the body, but can when required bend downwards with 

 their palms towards the ground if used to hold a worm. The hind feet, 

 compared with the hands, are small and weak. The eyes, extremely 

 minute, are hidden by the surrounding fur, and the question whether 

 they are used by the animal has been often raised. Yet the Mole 

 when above ground seems to have some glimmering of sight. One I 

 kept alive for a day or two when making sketches for the Plate would some- 

 times slightly raise its head, at the same time partly opening out the 

 frir concealing the eyes, these appeared as tiny black dots on the naked 

 skin. 



No external part of the ear is visible. 



The tail, measuring slightly more than an inch in length and clothed 

 with bristly hairs, is cocked upwards when the animal is excited. The 



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