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Marvels of the Universe 



Photo hy] 



NESTLING MOLES. 



This photograph of an opened Mole's nest shows the young Moles like little sucUing-pigs. The position 

 the Fortress will be seen on reference to the picture on next page. 



of the nest in 



THE LIFE STORY OF THE MOLE 



BY LIONEL E. ADAilS, B.A. 



Though perhaps no animal has been the subject of so many fantastic stories as the Mole, the true 

 life story of a quadruped that spends practically its whole life underground is sufficiently strange 

 to interest the lovers of marvels in Nature. 



During May the Moles are born in a warm nest of dry grass under a mound of earth, and closely 

 resemble small sucking-pigs, less than two inches long, pink, naked and blind. They increase in 

 size at the rate of a fifth of an inch a day. On the tenth day they turn from pink to lead colour ; 

 in another four days they are clothed with a short velvety coat of the same leaden hue, which grows 

 longer and darker till they emerge from the nest about the end of their fourth week, and commence 

 life on their own account. They now resemble their parents in all respects, except in size, which 

 is' about three-quarters their full growth. These inexperienced juveniles come to grief in many 

 ways, and may be found dead on the country roads during the summer. Towards the end of the 

 year each Mole prepares a habitation for himself, which has aptly been called his Fortress, and 

 merits special description. First, a cavity about the size of a large cottage loaf is excavated an 

 inch or two below the level of the ground, the loose earth being ejected through the top and forming 

 a mound. , This cavity is to contain the nest of grass and leaves which the Mole brings in from 

 above. Then, in order to protect the nest still further, he brings more earth by tunnels coming 

 from the field outside and piles up an immense heap on the top of the original one, sometimes two 

 feet high. These tunnels, being continued into the accumulating mound, usually remain intact. 



