258 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



Anthony Moles are found in the mountains of northern 

 Lower CaHfornia and in the mountains and valleys of southern 

 California west of the Deserts. They are rare in the valleys near 

 the coast, but are more common in the foothills and mountains, 

 though nowhere abundant. 



Moles are carnivorous. No vegetable food is eaten, the 

 popular supposition to the contrary being erroneous. The prin- 

 cipal food is grubs and other larvas, insects and earthworms. They 

 probably do not hunt for larger prey, such as mice, but a chance 

 meeting of a mole and a mouse in a burrow would probably result 

 in disaster to the mouse and a full meal for the mole. Mice do 

 occasionally use mole runs for I caught a meadow mouse in a 

 trap set in a mole run. The food is found by seem, this sense be- 

 ing well developed. Our moles have no visible ears, but there is 

 a small concealed external opening. The eyes are very rudimene- 

 tary, but are not completely overgrown with skin as is the case 

 with some other species. 



The gait on the ground is very awkward, the fore feet being 

 twisted so far outward' that the Mole must walk on the thumb and 

 edge of the foot. Our species are entirely subterranean in habit. 

 I have never known O'f an instance of their coming voluntarily on 

 the surface. Unlike various eastern and Europfean species our 

 Moles dO' not throw up mound's or "mole hills" on the surface. 

 Their runs or burrows are often so near the surface that a nar- 

 row rid'ge is raised by their passage. The runs are made by the 

 animal pressing the soil aside as it forces its way along. I captured 

 a Mole alive and placed it in a box containing some loose soil. Its 

 nose appeared to play an important part in burrowing. The very 

 pliant nose was pushed in the soil and pressed to one side and the 

 other forcing the soil aside a short distance. IntO' this opening 

 the fore foot was pushed, palm outward, alongside the nose, and 

 the foot swung outward and around, as a man swings his hand in 

 swimming. I thought the fore feet were used alternately, but in 

 hard soils they would probably be used simultaneously, and in 

 hard soils the claws would probably be forced ahead of the nose to 



