FROM MOLETOn'N TO BATVILLE 393 



in Mole tracks and nibble anything tliey can find, from 

 tulips to turnips. But we have no positive proof that 

 Moles eat vegetable food. In fact, they are ravenous 

 meat-eaters, and wlien the experiment was made of 

 feeding a captive Mole with vegetables he very soon 

 died of starvation.! 



" The Mole has his regular times of feeding, his sur- 

 face burrows being made commonly at early morning, 

 noon, and night, wet weather favoring his work by 

 softening the ground. There are many traps invented 

 to catch him, and owners of fine lawns and flower gjir- 

 dens owe him a grudge and would willingly besiege 

 Moleville with fire and sword, killing every inhabitant 

 if possible. P\om their standpoint he is a great nui- 

 sance. Nature would say, I suppose : ' He is doing my 

 work, get rid of the evil insects yourself, — cut off his 

 reason for living with you and tlie Mole will go.' ]\Iean- 

 while here at the farm I shall continue to set tra[)s for 

 him. 



" There is another family of insect-eaters called Shrews 

 who are closely related to the Moles, though looking much 

 more like mice. They are small and slender, with tiny 

 ears and eyes that can at least tell light from darkness, 

 thoucfhi their wonderful senses of touch and smell are 

 their chief guides. They feed both day and night, some- 

 times running along the surface of the ground in broad 

 daylight. They love the woods as a Mole does the open 

 country, and have their holes in easily reached places 

 under roots and in logs, for they lack the Moles' shovel 

 hands for deep burrowing. 



" The Short-tailed Shrew is our most common species. 

 1 Dr. C. Hart Merriam. Mammals of Adironilacks. 



