12 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



literally " earth hog" or "earth-burrower," and he adds as obsolete 

 terms orddodyn and ylltyr. 



In Irish we have caochdn (the blind creature), criadh-luch 

 (the earth mouse), luch dall (the blind mouse). In Scotch Gaelic 

 we find famh or famh thalmasnn, idr-fhamh. 



In Manx the mole is called kyaghan-caochdn, roddan-ooirey, 

 the earth rat, or lugh-glioal, Welsh rat. 



Palladius, who probably wrote about the reign of Theodosius 

 in the 4th century a.d., gives directions for getting rid of the Mole 

 as one of the banes of the agriculturist. An unknown translator, 

 whose work is published by the Early English Text Society, gives 

 the following quaint version of Palladius's injunctions : — 



" The Moldewarp the Grekes thus pursue : — 



Thai thurle a uutte, and stuffe it so withinne 

 With brymstoon, chaf, and cedria, thees three. 

 Then alle her hooles the molde is ynne 

 Save oon, the moste, uppe stopped must thai be. 

 The fyred nuttes smolder shall thorowe fie 

 This grettest hoole, as wol the wynde him serve 

 And either shall thees talpes voide or sterve." 



From another passage in this translation we see that the 

 Mole was actually called the Mold, hence our word is evidently 

 a corruption of that form. 



Our friend Pliny does not tell us much about the Mole that 

 is worthy of record. He affirms that these animals hear better 

 when underground ; that the magicians of Persia hold them in 

 especial reverence; that they are killed by pouring "amurca" 

 (wine-lees) into their holes ; that mats were made of mole-skins ; 

 that they have no eyes ; and that a town had been undermined by 

 them. Virgil also believed them to be blind, and regarded them 

 as one of the pests of the farmer. 



In the 'Philosopher's Banquet' (1633), we are told that water 

 in which Moles were boiled had the property of turning what 

 was black to white! 



