MOLE. 125 



Thus, in safe situations, where there is nothing to 

 disturb or threaten the security of its roof, it will be 

 found at a depth of about four or five inches ; whilst 

 in other places, as under a road or beneath a stream, the 

 earth is left not less than a foot or a foot and a half 

 deep above it. 



As it is only by the high road that the Mole can visit 

 the different quarries or hunting-grounds of its domain, 

 it is traversed regularly several times in the course of the 

 day ; hence it is only in this route that it can with any 

 certainty be taken, and the traps are therefore always 

 placed in its course by skilful Mole-catchers, so as to 

 intercept the animal in its journey between the fortress 

 and that alley which may happen at the time to be the 

 seat of its labours. 



The swiftness with which the Mole will traverse its 

 domain by means of this principal road, was made the 

 subject of an amusing and satisfactory experiment by 

 Le Court. Having ascertained the exact direction of 

 the road, and finding that the Mole was engaged in 

 exploring for its food the ground at the farthest ex- 

 tremity from the fortress, he placed along its course, at 

 certain distances, several pieces of straw, one extremity 

 of which penetrated within the passage, and to the other 

 end was fixed a little flag of paper. He also introduced 

 into the passage near the end a horn, with the mouth- 

 piece standing out of the ground. Then waiting till he 

 was sure of the Mole's presence at that part of the road, 

 he blew into the horn, to use the words of Geoffroy, 

 "un cri effroyable;" when, in a moment, the little flags 

 were successively thrown off", as the Mole, in its rapid 

 course towards its fortress, came in contact with the 

 interior extremities of the straws ; and the spectators 

 of this neat and demonstrative experiment afRrm that 



