234 OBSERVATIONS ON THE MOLE, 
ped on the surface, and in a few seconds a heaving of the 
earth in the pot began, and the mole peeped out its head, 
apparently smelling for the worms, which having caught 
its notice, it immediately seized one and began to eat, 
though without entirely leaving its hole. Finding no dan- 
ger to arise from this essay, the little animal grew bolder, 
came up full to the surface, shook the dry dust from its 
glossy coat, and began to eat with great avidity the worms 
which were successively laid before it. While thus occu- 
pied, I stroked down its back gently with my hand. At 
the first touch or two it seemed a little afraid, and shewed 
an inclination to retreat, though it did not intermit its 
eating ; but gaining more confidence, it allowed itself to be 
patted without fear, erecting its short tail like a cat, as if 
the smoothing of its fur gave it pleasure. Its eyes were 
at this time, as on all occasions when it came to the sur- 
face, open, and it seemed to use them in the selection 
of particular worms, when more than one were placed before 
it. We were much diverted with its mode of eating. When 
it fixed upon a worm, it seized one end in its teeth, and 
taking it writhing with pain between its fore-feet, it stretch- 
ed out its folds by little and little as it swallowed it, by a 
constant action of the feet, perhaps for the double purpose 
pf freeing the worm from sojl and untwining its convolu- 
tions. 
" This was in the morning, Occasional visits were made 
to the mole in the course of the day ; and it grew so accus- 
tomed to these, that no sooner was the covering pot re- 
moved, and it heard the children's voices, than it came up 
to the surface for its food. Though it occasionally peeped 
over the edge of the flower-pot on these occasions, it did 
not attempt to leap from its place. Towards evening, 
from a desire to become still better acquainted with the 
little anin^al, it was put into a box^ in which was a turf, and 
