THE FOOD OF MOLES 149 



and shrews, of the Order Insectivora, humble but faithful 

 workers in man's interest. Neither the horse nor the ox is 

 more diligent in our service than are these toilers of the soil. 

 Yet what is their reward? 



In his mole-like blindness, man frequently discovers things 

 that are not true. Often a perfectly honest farmer concludes 

 that a mole is eating his seed corn in the ground, or the veg- 

 etables in the garden; and straightway the mole is killed. 

 His accuser has found a runway following up a row of newly 

 planted corn, and when the seed fails to sprout, the mole is 

 accused of having eaten it! 



In all such cases, the mole is a victim of circumstantial 

 evidence, and suffers through the lack of counsel to cross- 

 examine the witnesses for the prosecution. Did any one ever 

 find much vegetable food in a mole's stomach? Not often. 

 Did any one ever see a mole eat vegetable food? Probably 

 not. A mole placed in a box and supplied with vegetable 

 food alone soon starves to death. Moles do not eat seed corn, 

 or garden vegetables; but they do visit corn hills to eat the 

 grubs that come to devour the corn. 



Every naturalist must learn early what constitutes direct 

 evidence. Far too long have the mole and shrew been con- 

 victed and slain on circumstantial evidence. Meadow-mice 

 sometimes attack seed corn by utilizing the runways that 

 have been made by moles in reaching the corn hills to secure 

 the grubs that attack the seeds; and almost invariably the 

 testimony is that the moles have done the damage. In France 

 the value of the mole is recognized by law, and the kiUing 

 of one is punishable by a fine of five francs. 



