Marvels of the Universe 



131 



and were erroneously supposed by the old naturalists to be galleries arranged systematically to 

 enable the Mole to elude his enemies when surprised in his Fortress. One such tunnel, however, 

 does exist in every Fortress, leading downwards from the bottom of the nest cavity and then turning 

 upw^ai'ds into one of the tunnels leading away from the nest into the field, and termed the " Bolt- 

 run." In this Fortress, then, the Mole lives solitary, sleeping curled up in the nest and emerging at 

 intervals of every few hours to run along his tunnels, which extend in all directions from the Fortress 

 into the open country, in search of worms, which form his usual diet. Occasionally, however, the 

 fare is varied, a dead mouse or a slug, or even a live frog or a young bird, being devoured by the 

 hungrj' Mole. Now, considering the strenuous life the animal is obliged to lead to find sufficient 

 worms to support him, and considering the small amount of nutriment in a pint of worms, there is 

 no mvsterv in his voracity. Hunger, moreover, induces bad temper, and when Moles meet they 

 usually fight to the death — the vanquished forming a meal for the victor. 



In iMarch and April the males seek the females, but it is doubtful whether they ever occupy 

 a joint Fortress as husband and wife. Certainly the breeding female makes a separate Fortress as 

 a nursery, somewhat similar to that of the male, but smaller and without a Bolt-run. 



During the time the j-oung are in the nest the fields are bush-harrowed, and the Fortresses, as 

 well as the ordinary small molehills, are levelled and scattered. This, however, does not harm the 

 young in the nests below ; indeed, in one way it is their salvation, since all visible signs of their 

 existence have been cleared away and they are left unmolested. If these breeding nests were 

 properly marked down and dug out, the race would be much reduced, as the mole only produces 

 one litter a year — but then the mole-catcher's occupation would be gone ! 



During the summer the Mole leaves little trace of his existence, either foraging in his tunnels or 

 on the surface of the ground when the worms come forth at night. 



Mole workings are beneficial to heavy soil, and the heaps when scattered form good top-dressing ; 

 but on a sacred goli-grfen . . . ! 



THE MOLE'S FORTRESS 



A section through the fortress of the Mole, showing the nest wherein the young are born and reared. It 



be far lese complicated in its tunnels and galleries than was formerly supposed to be the case 



