THE OUTDOOR WORLD. 



195 



It is difficult to determine how many litters of young they have in a 

 year. I have taken two young three-quarters grown on May 31, and 

 on the same day captured a female containing three embryos, having 

 a total weight of only thirteen grams. 



Condyhira cristata. Star-nosed Mole. — The star-nosed mole is far 

 less common than the preceding species, and usually inhabits wet 

 meadows near streams, though occasionally taken in dry soil. The 

 galleries of the star-nosed mole, unlike the uniformly elevated ridges of 

 the common species, consist of a series of a dozen or more hills or dirt 

 mounds without visible connections between them. The difference in 

 the construction of the tunnels of the two species is easily accounted 

 for. The common mole living in light and yielding soil and near the 

 surface can force any extraneous dirt to one side or the other, whereas 

 the star-nosed mole dwelling in heavy wet soil deeper underground, is 

 obliged to push the accumulations through holes to the surface, thus 

 forming the hills. These hills are a few inches high and five or six 

 inches across, and in general appearance somewhat resemble those of 

 the pocket gophers of the West. 



On April 16, 1884 I was fortunate enough to see the nest of this 

 mole. A neighbor was repairing a woodshed which stood near a low 

 meadow, and in removing some old timber unearthed the nest. It was 

 placed under a layer of six inches or more of old chips, was composed 

 of dry grasses and leaves and contained five young. These were about 

 as large as full grown short-tailed shrews and weighed from 25 to 28 

 grams (about one ounce) each. They were covered with short thick 

 hairs, and the nasal fringes were well developed. 



Strange as it may appear this animal is an expert swimmer and 

 glides through the water with perfect ease.* 



Vespertilio liicifugus. Blunt-nosed Bat. — Rare. Out of the hun- 

 dreds of bats collected only one of this species was ever secured, which 

 was on June 9, 1884. 



Vesperugo fuscus. Brown Bat. — Common. Seen from the first 

 warm evenings of April until November. On November 12, 1884, one 

 was seen flying about the streets, hunting insects at two o'clock in the 

 afternoon. 



Vesperugo noctivagans. Silver-haired Bat. — Tolerably common. 

 Usually seen until after the heavy frosts of the middle of October. 

 The majority of young are born during the week beginning June 20. 

 The usual number of young is two, though occasionally only one. On 

 June 24, 1884, Mr. Howard Acker found sixteen females with twenty- 



*See note of one seen swimming June 7, 1885. (American Nat. XIX, Sept. 1885, 8g5.) 



