Fes., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN— Cory. 433 
Family TALPIDA. Moles. 
The Moles are allied to the Shrews, but differ in having a zygoma- 
tic arch and audital bulle, as well as in the form of the teeth. The 
last are white and not red-tipped as in our species of Shrews. The 
fur is soft and velvety; the eyes are very small and often rudimentary. 
There is no noticeable external ear; the fore feet are very large, being 
greatly modified for digging; and the neck is so short as to be appar- 
ently lacking. The sternum is provided with a well developed ‘‘keel”’ 
which supports the large pectoral muscle required on account of the 
burrowing habits of these animals; the czecum is absent. 
The members of the family are confined, so far as known, to the 
temporate regions of North America, Europe and Asia. Most of the 
species live in burrows in the ground and a few are semi-aquatic. 
Their food consists principally of insects, ants, worms, etc. Five 
genera and about 20 species and subspecies are found in North America, 
of which two genera, one species and one subspecies occur within our 
limits. 
The European Mole (Talpa europea) was the subject of much 
discussion by ancient naturalists. The earliest writers considered 
it to be a kind of blind Mouse but Topsell takes exception to this, 
stating that all Mice have ‘“‘two longe crooked foreteeth which is not 
in Moles.” He also says, ‘‘These beasts are all blind and want eies, 
and therefore came the proverbe, Talpa cecior tuphloteros alpalacos, 
blinder than a Mole; to signifie, a man without all judgment, wit, or 
fore-sight; for it is most elegantly applyed to the minde, yet if any 
man looke earnestly upon the places where the eies should grow, he 
shall perceive a little passage, by drawing up the membrane or little 
skinne which is black, and therefore of them in this manner probably. 
“All kinds of Moles want their sight, because they have not their 
eies open and naked as other beasts, but if a man pull up the skinne of 
their browes about the place of their eies, which is thicke and shawd- 
oweth their sight, he shal perceive.in them inward covered cies: 
the young ones before birth have eies, but after birth, living continually 
in the darke earth without light, they cease to grow to any perfection; 
for indeede they neede them not.’’* 
Proof of the antiquity of the proverb, “Even a worm will turn,” is 
shown in Topsell’s account of the habits of these animals. He says: 
“When the wormes are followed by Molds (for by digging and heaving 
* Historie of Foure Footed Beastes, London, 1607, p. 499- 
