1020.] 



The Common Mole. 



661 



Number ol 



He.cl 





Hi n.l 





Days old 



& Body 



Tail 



Foot 



Colour Remarks 



1 



42 



8 



5 



Very red Umbilical cord un- 











healed. 



2 



47 



9 



5 5 



Red Ditto. 



3 



52 



10 



6 





4 



57 



11 



< 





5 



02 



12 



8 



Pink 



6 



07 



12 



9 





7 



71 



13 



9 





8 



76 



14 



10 









15 



11 



Ssl 1 ( »" 1 1 1 1 \' 1 1 * *1 M t 't n t in Vfrt 1 

 O 111; 11 1 1 \ lldtl HflUUlCU 











on back 



10 



85 



15 



12 



Slightly darker 



11 



89 



10 



13 





12 



94 



lb 



14 



Ditto 



13 



99 



17 



15 





14 



105 



17 



10 



Lead colour all over ; 











fur visible 



15 



109 



18 



10 





16 



112 



21 



16 





17 



114 



23 



10 



Completely covered Ears open 











with velvety lead- 











coloured fur 



18 



115 



23 



17 





19 



116 



24 



17 





20 



117 



25 



17 





21 



117 



20 



17 



Fur nearly normal Eyes showing a 











colour and length spot of matter : 











not yet open 



22 



118 



27 



17 



Fur nearly normal Eyes opening 



During the 



summer and early autumn moles come to the 



surface 



in search of 



worms 



and to drink,, the dewy herbage 



supplying the 



latter 



need. 



In the hot year of 1911 the 



surface of the ground in certain districts was caked so hard that 

 the moles could not burrow through, and numbers of those which 

 came above ground b}~ their usual exits were unable to dig 

 themselves in again, and so perished. One farmer stated that 

 he used to go out at night with his dog, and killed over 300 

 on his own farm. In some parts of south Surrey the mole was 

 almost exterminated. 



The Mole's Fortress. — As autumn draws on, the impulse 

 seizes the mole to prepare a winter habitation which is known 

 as " the fortress." 



Much legendary inaccuracy has been handed down about the 

 mole and its fortress. It has been repeatedly asserted that the 

 mole deliberately chooses the most suitable spot, preferably " in 



E 



