466 AUDUBON 



adhesive earth, and most of them had their pouches filled 

 either with blades of grass or roots of different sizes ; and 

 I think their being hairy rather corroborates the fact that 

 these pouches are only used for food. In a word, they 

 appear to me to raise the earth precisely in the manner 

 employed by the Mole. 



When travelling the tail drags on the ground, and they 

 hobble along with their long front claws drawn underneath ; 

 at other times, they move by slow leaping movements, 

 and can travel backwards almost as fast as forwards. 

 When turned over they have much difficulty in replacing 

 themselves in their natural position, and you may see 

 them kicking with their legs and claws for a minute or 

 two before they are right. They bite severely, and do not 

 hesitate to make towards their enemies or assailants with 

 open mouth, squeahng like a rat. When they fight among 

 themselves they make great use of the nose in the manner 

 of hogs. They cannot travel faster than the slow walk of a 

 man. They feed frequently while seated on the rump, using 

 their fore paws and long claws somewhat like a squirrel. 

 When sleeping they place the head beneath the breast, and 

 become round, and look like a ball of earth. They clean 

 their whiskers and body in the manner of Rats, Squirrels, etc. 



The four which I kept alive never drank anything, 

 though water was given to them. I fed them on potatoes, 

 cabbages, carrots, etc. They tried constantly to make 

 their escape by gnawing at the floor, but in vain. They 

 slept wherever they found clothing, etc., and the rascals 

 cut the lining of my hunting-coat all to bits, so that I was 

 obliged to have it patched and mended. In one instance 

 I had some clothes rolled up for the washerwoman, and, 

 on opening the bundle to count the pieces, one of the 

 fellows caught hold of my right thumb, with fortunately 

 a single one of its upper incisors, and hung on till I shook 

 it off, violently throwing it on the floor, where it lay as if 

 •dead; but .it recovered, and was as well as ever in less 



