MOLE. 139 



There are several remarkable varieties of the present 

 species : it is found of a deep black colour, of a mouse- 

 grey, dark olive brown, pied, yellowish white, and 

 wholly or partially orange. We have received from 

 Switzerland (Berne) several examples of the usual dark 

 colour, but having a well defined lozenge-shaped patch 

 of orange on the breast. It has been supposed that 

 some of these differences of colour are connected with 

 soil or climate ; but there appears to be but little ground 

 for such an opinion. 



The ancient English name of the Mole is Mouldwarp, 

 or Mouldiwarp, from the Anglo-Saxon "Molde," soil ; and 

 " Weorpan," to throw or turn up. This is still its com- 

 mon name in many parts of England, particularly in the 

 North. Gascoigne, who wrote in the sixteenth century, 

 employs indifferently Mowle and Mouldiwarpe ; Spenser 

 uses Mouldwarp ; and Shakspeare has Mole, as it is 

 now spelt : thus, in the first edition of Hamlet, printed 

 in 1603,— 



' ' Well said old Mole, canst worke In the earth 

 So fast ? a worthy pioner ! " 



In Dorsetshire, Devonshire, and other parts of the West 

 of England, it is always called Want : a name probably 

 introduced by the Danes ; " Wand " being the old Danish, 

 and " Vond" still the Norwegian name for this animal. 

 In most of the Midland counties it is called a Hunt, 

 or Hoont, which is probably the same as Want or 

 Woont. 



The body of the Mole is thick and full, oblong, nearly 

 cylindrical, not ordinarily raised above the ground : head 

 tapering to the extremity of the nose, which is formed 

 for turning up the earth. The teeth sharp-pointed, the 



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