432 
NOTES TO THE 
The Squire had not one of Mr. Bateson's vermin annihilators, 
by means of which sulphur smoke can be pumped into rat- 
holes. 1 had fancied that the smoke I intended to pump in 
would show me the run of the moles' burro wings. I therefore 
got from the gardener the apparatus for smoking his plants. I 
found some fresh molehills, I knocked off the loose earth from 
the top of a molehill, and then pumped into the run strong 
smoke, made from tobacco and brown-paper. The smoke im- 
mediately came out of several of the moles' hillocks, which 
smoked like young volcanoes. I then traced out Mr. Mole's 
tunnels by means of a spud, but I had not power enough in the 
bellows to blow in the smoke a long way so as to start " the 
little gentleman in black." Mr. Davy informed me that directly 
the smoke is blown in, Mr. Mole " takes his hook," and while 
the smoke ascends through the mole-hills he works himself deep 
into the earth. Cunning rascals, these moles ! I shall give 
them another turn some other day. The Squire's keeper in- 
formed me that the moles invariably worked at eight, twelve, 
and four regularly every day. He took me some little distance 
to a footpath running across the park, and pointed out how the 
mole literally had two "diggins," or castles, one on each side of the 
path, and that he had one tunnel to cross this path, just like 
the passage in the Houses of Parliament that connects the 
House of Lords with the House of Commons. 
Moles certainly have eyes. Blow the fur backwards, and two 
very tiny black specks can be seen ; these are the eyes. The 
optic nerves are small, but they exist. A dried mole should 
The skeleton of the mole is one of the most striking instances 
of structure designedly adapted to habits in the whole animal 
kingdom. The little lancet-like teeth are specially beautiful. 
Here is the wonderful digging paw of the mole ; it is worked by 
very powerful muscles. 
DIGGING PAW OF THE MOLE. 
be taken off the bushes where the 
mole-catchers have hanged moles. If 
the dry skin is carefully cut off the 
head, the orifices of the eyes will be 
easily seen — the anatomy of this 
most interesting and curious little 
beast Avill also be readily made out. 
Soak one of these dry moles in warm 
water — cut off the skin with scissors, 
and a skeleton can be easily made 
Hooded Ceow, p. 170. — The hooded crow^ (Corvns comix) does 
not often breed in the South of England. Orkney and Shetland 
