CHAPTER V 



THE ORDER OF MOLES AND SHREWS 



INSECTIVORA 



In the dark and cold embrace of Mother Earth, 

 away from the cheering sunlight, and the beauti- 

 ful upper world that we enjoy, there dwells a 

 group of mammals so strange, and yet so useful 

 to man, that they excite our admiration for the 

 wise purpose which developed and placed them 

 there. Pass not unthinkingly the moles and 

 shrews, for they have been most cunningly de- 

 signed to serve a definite and important purpose 

 in the economy of Nature. 



In farming countries, the top soil of the earth 

 is a vast incubator for the development of de- 

 structive insect larvae. In soil that is rich and 

 productive, "grub-worms," "cut-worms," and 

 "wire- worms" abound; and in regular rotation 

 they greedily devour the seeds, roots and leaves 

 of growing crops. But for the enemies which 

 keep them in check, there would be a hungry 

 grub for every sprouting seed. 



And how can man wage war successfully 

 against insect life in the soil? Impossible. To 

 meet this difficult proposition, we need a vigor- 

 ous living creature with a nose like a gimlet, 

 sharp-pointed teeth, soft fur, feet specially de- 

 signed for digging, and eyes so small that to 

 them sunlight is an unnecessary luxury. Such 

 animals are found in the moles and shrews, of 

 the Order In-sec-tiv'o-ra, humble but faithful 

 workers in man's interest. Neither the horse 

 nor the ox is more diligent in our service than 

 are these toilers of the soil. Yet what is their 

 reward? 



In his mole-like blindness, man frequently dis- 

 covers things that are not true. Often a per- 

 fectly honest farmer concludes that a mole is 

 eating his seed corn in the ground, or the vegeta- 

 bles in the garden; and straightway the mole 

 is killed. His accuser has found a runway 

 following up a row of newly-planted corn, and 

 when the seed fails to sprout, the mole is accused 

 of having eaten it! 



In all such cases, the mole is a victim of cir- 

 cumstantial evidence, and suffers through the 



lack of counsel to cross-examine the witnesses 

 for the prosecution. Did anyone ever find much 

 vegetable food in a mole's stomach? Not often. 

 Did anyone ever see a mole eat vegetable food? 

 Probably not. A mole placed in a box and sup- 

 plied with vegetable food alone soon starves to 

 death. Moles do not eat seed corn, or garden 

 vegetables; but they do visit corn-hills to eat 

 the grubs that come to devour the corn. 



Every young naturalist must learn early what 

 constitutes direct evidence. Far too long have 

 the mole and shrew been convicted and slain 

 on circumstantial evidence. Meadow mice some- 

 times attack seed corn by utilizing the run- 

 ways that have been made by moles in reaching 

 the corn-hills to secure the grubs that attack 

 the seeds; and almost invariably the testimony 

 is that the moles have done the damage. In 

 France the value of the mole is recognized by 

 law, and the killing of one is punishable by a fine 

 of five francs. 



The shrews and moles not only find their food 

 underground, but live the entire cycle of their 

 lives in subterranean darkness. Moles seek their 

 food by digging tunnels in ground that is loose 

 and dry, the roof being raised into a ridge which 

 in smooth lawns is an annoying disfigurement. 

 Gardeners are apt to forget that they always 

 work where insect larvae are thickest, and the 

 need for their help is most urgent. The tunnel- 

 makers are driven from lawns by persistently 

 trampling down their runways. 



The Order Insectivora is represented in the 

 United States by two Families, the members of 

 which are easily recognized by the following 

 well-marked characters : 



The Moles have pointed heads; extremely large, 

 spade-like front feet, that always are held with 

 the outer edge up; no neck; the front legs are 

 exceedingly short; there is no external ear, and 

 no external eye; the body is short, thick and 

 clumsy, and the tail is hairless. 



The Shrews have pointed heads, but small, 



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