CARNARIA. 81 



use of its long, pointed licad, the extremity of its niiizzle Ijciiig provided with a pccidiar httie hone, and 

 the cervical muscles heing extremely powerful There is even au additional hone in the cervical hga- 

 inent. The hinder part of the hody is feehlc, and the animal ahove ground advances as awltwardly as 

 it docs rapidly below the surface. Its sense of hearing is extremely acute, and the tympanum very 

 large, although there is no external ear ; hut the eyes are so small, and so hidden beneath the hair, 

 that their existence even was denied for a long while. [They have been ascertained, how ever, to he 

 tolerably sbarp-siglited.] The genital organs have this peculiarity, that the hones of the pubis do not 

 become joined ; by reason of which, notwithstanding the narrowness of the pelvis, they are enabled to 

 produce tolerably large young ones : the urethra of the female passes through the clitoris : slie has 

 six teats. The jaws are feeble, and the food consists of insects, worms, and some tender roots, [chiefly, 

 however, worms, though even small birds are sometimes sacrificed to their voracity, when they can 

 dart upon them from the entrance of their runs]. There are six incisors above and eight below.* The 

 canines have two roots, in which respect they partake of the nature of false molars f : behind them are 

 four false molars above, and three Ijclow ; and finally, three bristled molars. [Tlie fur is set vertically 

 in the skin, whence it has no grain or particular direction.] 



Our common European Mole {7'. Europtca, Lin.) — Entirely black, but often varying to white, fulvous, or pied. 

 [.-V most remarkable animal, not only for the ardour of its passions, appetites, and emotions, but for the curious 

 instincts with which it is endowed, more particidarly with ref^ard to the complicated regularity of its subterraneous 

 dwelling and galleries.] According to M. Harlan, this species likewise exists in North America [or, at any rate, 

 there is a species stated to be from that continent most closely allied to it, of which the Zoological Society of 

 London possess specimens.] 



lAI. Savi has found a Mole in the Apennines said to be quite blind, altliough otherwise sinnlar to the conmion one 

 (the T. ctx'ca, Sav.) : it is not, however, perfectly blind, for the eyelids hare an opening, though smaller than in the 

 common I\Iole. The existence of the ojitic nerve in this last species has been denied ; J think I can demonstrate 

 it throughout its course. [Two other species ai-e known, T.japonica and T. moogui-a.'\ 



The Coni>ylures {Condylura, lllig.), — 

 Seem to combine the two kinds of dentition of the lusectivora : their ujtper jaw has two large trian- 

 gular incisors, two others which are extremely small and slender, and upon each side a strong canine ; 

 the lower jaw has 'four incisors slanting forward, and a pointed canine of small size. Their su]jerior 

 false molars are triangular, and separated ; the lower dentelated and trenchant. In their feet and wlmle 

 exterior, the animals of this genus resemble the Moles, Imt have a longer tail, and. what very readily 

 distinguishes them, their nostrils are encircled with small moveable cartilaginous points, wdiich, when 

 they separate, radiate like a star. 

 [Three or four species are now known, all from North America. Among them is] ^onw cristatus, Lin. 



The SHRiiw-MOLES (Scahps, Cuv.) — 

 Have teeth rather similar to those of the Desmans, except that their small or false molars are less 

 numerous ; the muzzle is simply pointed, as in the Shrews ; and their hands are widened, armed with 

 strong nails, and in short adapted for digging into the ground precisely as in the Iiloles, wdiich they 

 entirely resemijle in their mode of life. Tlieir eyes are equally small, and their ears concealed in the 

 same manner. 



Sorex aquaficus, Lin.— A]ipears to inhabit a very great part of North America, along the ri\'ers : externally, it 

 so nearly resembles the European Mole as to be readily mistaken for it. [Three other siiecics, from the same 

 general locality, have been recently discovered. 



The Insectivora, according to the views of Dc Blaiuvillc, should constitute au entirely 

 distinct order, intermediate to the Cheiroptera and Edentutu. 



They present an almost unbroken series of successively distinct divisions, more or less allied 

 to'iether. The most definite super-generic section is that composed of the four genera last in 

 order, or the various animals analogous to the European Mole. At tlie other end of the series, 

 the spinous genera, at first sight, appear equally separated ; but they certainly grade through 

 Ceiitenes and then Gi/mnura to the Shrews, which are again related to the Talpicltej if, indeeil, 

 the line of separation should not be drawn between Centenes, and Erinaceus and Echinops : the 



» W^tre tliis truly tht case, it M-oul(i lie tin anoinaty throui^houl pla- | incisors .15 the real canines.— Ed. 

 cental :\lanHnalia ; Imt as the lower canines, as thus assigned, close t There is no essential dilTerence between canines atjJ false molars. 



wiitiin the upper, we are led to identify the c.vterior pair of sceinint; | See p. 77.— Ed. 



