MAMMALIA. FERJ& Mole. 20$ 



Inhabits the whole of Europe, and the more northerly parts of Alia and Africa. — The Mole chief- 

 ly frequents moift fields that are expofed to the fun, meadows, and gardens ; through thefc it con- 

 ftructs fubterraneous roads, or galleries, in every direction, in fearch of worms, on which, and the 

 larvae of infects, it feeds, and not at all on vegetables, though it does great damage by Ioofening the 

 roots of plants : It is moft active in its operations before rain, becaufe then the worms are in motion. 

 The penis of the male is exceedingly long in proportion ; they feem to pair, and propagate in fpring, 

 the female bringing four or live young at a birth, which are placed in nefts made of mois, leaves, and 

 dried grafs, under the largeft hillocks of the field ; thefe are conftrueted with wonderful ino-enuitv, 

 confifting of an interior hillock, furrounded with a ditch, which communicates with feveral galleries, 

 on purpofe to carry off the moifture, and the neft is covered over with a dome of earth, like the fiat 

 arch of an oven. Moles are deftroyed by means of a pafte, compofed df palma-chrifti and white hel- 

 lebore, or by flooding the fields which they infeft ; though) in the latter cafe, they fomctimes efcape 

 by afcending trees. 



The Mole is five inches and three quarters long, and the tail one inch ; it has a large head, with 

 no external ears, and very minute eyes, which are hid in the fur, but are fufceptible of being extruded 

 a little way, the fnout is long, the upper jaw being much longer than the lower; the fore part of the 

 body is thick and mufcular, with very fhort fore legs, placed much fidewife ; the fore feet are very 

 broad, flat, and oblique, having large palms, with five fhort toes armed with ftrong claws ; the faini 

 der parts are taper, with fmall feet, having likewife five toes ; the fkin is exceedingly tough, and is 

 covered with fhort, clofe-fet, velvet-like fur, ufually of a fine black, fometimes fpotted with white, al- 

 together white, or grey. There are none in Ireland ; and tljofe of Siberia are larger than the 



mon kind. 



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com- 



2. American Mole. — Talpa jlava. 

 Has five toes on each foot ; a fhort tail ; and is of a yellowifh brown colour. 



Talpa europaea flava, or Yellow European Mole. Syft. nat. cd. Gmel. i. p. 1 10. n. i. ?.— Yellow 

 Mole. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 349. p. 



Inhabits North America.— This fpecies, or perhaps rather variety, refembles" the European, but is 

 larger, being fix inches and a quarter in length, and the tail one : The hair is foft, filky, and gloffy, 

 of a yellowifh brown colour at the tips, and dark grey at the roots; it is brighteft in colour about the 

 head, and darkeft about the rump ; the belly is deep cinereous brown ; the feet and tail are white-. 



9 

 O" 



Oefted Mole. — Talpa crijlata. 



Has five toes on each foot ; a fhort tail ; and the nofe is furrounded with fhort radiated 

 tendrils. Penn. hift. of quad. ri. 351. p[. xlviii. fig. 1-. 



Sorex criftatus, or Crefted Shrew, having a fhort tail, and the nofe furrounded with radiated 

 tendrils. Syft. nat. ed. Gmel. p. 112. ri. 1.— -Radiated Mole. Arft. zool. n. 6g. 



Inhabits North America.— Is about three inches and three quarters in length, the tail air inch and 

 three tenths : The nofe is long, and furrounded, at the point, with from ten to fifteen fhort, fmall, 

 pointed, and naked tendrils, or caruncles, forming a ftar.; the body is thick and round, like that of 

 the Common Mole, and is covered with a fine, fhort, compact:, and dufky coloured fur, ratter longer 



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