68 Lloyd's natural history. 



although man employs them as a sure means for entrapping 

 it." * 



After mentioning that we are mainly indebted to the obser- 

 vations made many years ago by Le Court for our knowledge 

 of the construction of the Mole's runs and habitation, the 

 author proceeds to say that "each individual appropriates 

 to himself a district, or space of ground, in which he forms 

 a kind of fortress under a hillock in some secure place, as 

 beneath a bank or near the roots of a tree. In this eminence, 

 of which the earth is rendered very compact, is formed a 

 circular gallery, communicating with a smaller gallery, placed 

 above it, by several passages. On the level of the lower, or 

 larger, gallery is a roundish cavity, or chamber, communicating 

 with the upper by three passages. From the outer gallery 

 branch off a number of passages, which run out to a variable 

 extent, and, forming an irregular curve, terminate in what may 

 be called the high-road, which is a long passage proceeding 

 from the outer circular gallery, and at the same time communi- 

 cating directly with the central cavity. It extends to the 

 farthest limit of the domain, is of somewhat greater diameter 

 than the body of the animal, has its walls comparatively 

 compact, and communicates with the numerous passages by 

 which the domain is intersected. By this principal passage the 

 Mole visits the various parts of its hunting-ground, burrowing 

 to either side, and throwing out the earth here and there, so as 

 to form heaps or mole-hills. As it traverses this path several 



* I am indebted to Mr. Aubyn Trevor-Battye for some observations on 

 British Animals, which will be read with interest. Concerning the pre- 

 sent species he writes as follows : — " With regard to the question of vision, 

 I can state that a Mole which I kept for some time in captivity would take 

 worms from my fingers. When I swung a worm about in front of his face 

 he would — nose in air — follow it backward and forward with his head. 

 Whether he saw it or only smelt it (in which case his quickness of scent 

 was simply marvellous), I am unable to say." 



