30 MOLES AND THEIR LIKE. 



couclis, aud thus de])artiiig more widely from the mole type. 

 In the sandy soil of Egypt the mole-rat constructs tunnels 

 of great length in search of Isulbs. In South Africa these 

 forms are replaced by the liuge sand-mole (Bathyergus), 

 "whii-h attains a length of about ten inches ; and also by 

 certain smaller animals known as Oeorychus and Myoscalojis, 

 differing from the former by the absence of grooves in 

 their incisor teeth. The sand-mole is commonly met with 

 in the flats near the shore, while the smaller forms 

 generally frequent land at a higher elevation. Sometimes, 

 however, both are found together, and the country is then 

 <'overed in all directions with hillocks precisely resembling 

 those made by our English mole. Although the sand-mole 

 lias uncovered eyes, these are not bigger than the heads 

 of large pins, aud can have but little visual power. Still, 

 however, then' presence serves to indicate that these 

 animals have not become so completely adapted to a 

 subiterranean life as is the common mole, and this is 

 confirmed liy the fact that if their burrows are opened, 

 the sand-moles after a few minutes usually jjrotrude their 

 noses from the aperture with a view to discover the cause 

 (if the disturbance, whereas an ordinary mole would under 

 similar circumstaiKjes remain below. 



All the foregoing belong to one family of rodents ; but 

 in addition to these certain members of the vole group 

 (a sub-division of theMiiridie) have also taken to a subiter- 

 ranean burrowing life, with the assumption of a mole-like 

 liodily form. These may be termed mole- voles, and range 

 from Eussia to central and northern Asia, where they are 

 represented by the two genera EUohius and Siphneiis. They 

 all have mole-like heads aud bodies, short limbs and tails, 

 rudiuiental exteraal ears, veiy minute eyes, and powerful 

 fore-paws. In the Kussian mole-vole {EUohius) and the 

 allied Quetta mole from Afghanistan the claws of the front 

 jiaws are short ; but, as shown in our figure, tliev become 

 greatly elongated in the members of the genus Sqjhneus. 

 W\ of them agree with the ordinary voles in the peculiar 

 structure of tlii?ir molar teeth, which consist of a number 

 of triangular prisms placed edge to edge ; and all are 

 described as driving subt(?rranean tunnels and throwiuo- 



