M O L 
M O L 
vrhich are mufical and folemn, but it Can affiime 
the tone of every other creature, from the wolf to 
the raven; and hence it receives it's name. It 
feems to derive a peculiar pleafure from leading 
animals aftray : at one time, it will allure the lelTer 
birds with the call of their males; and, when they 
approach, terrify them with the fcreams of the 
eagle. It can imitate every bird of the foreft with 
am.azing exaftitude; and there are none which 
it hath not at times deceived by it's voice. How- 
ever, the Mock-Bird is always moil agreeable 
when mofi: itfelf. At fuch times it ufually fre- 
quents the houfes of the Am.erican planters; and, 
fitting all night on fome chimney-top, pours 
forth the fweetell and mofl: various notes of any 
bird whatever. Indeed, if we may credit the befl: 
accounts, it would feem that the deficiency of moft 
other fong-birds in that country is compenfated 
by this alone. It builds it's neft in fruit-trees 
contiguous to houfes, feeds on berries and other 
fruits, and is eafily tamed. 
MOHAIR-SHELL. See Moire. 
MOIRE. An appellation given to the mo- 
hair-fhell, a fpecies of the voluta; fo called bv 
the French virtuofi. This fliell feems to be of a 
clofely and finely reticulated texture; and, on the 
furface, refembles a piece of mohair, or a very 
clofe web of the filk-worm. 
MOLE. In the Linnsan fyftem of zoology, 
a diftin^t genus of animals, of the order of fer^e, 
and clafs of mammalia; the chara6ters of which 
are, that they have fix upper fore-teeth, and eight 
lower. Linna:us mentions only two fpecies; the 
European, which has a tail, and five toes on each 
foot; and the Siberian or Afiatic Mole, which is 
deftitute of a tail, and has only three toes on the 
fore-feet. However, other natural ifts increafe the 
catalogue; and as their difcriminations appear 
to be founded in rcafon, we fliall partly adopt 
them. 
Mole, Common; the Talpa Europeus of Lin- 
nsus. This animal is formed to live wholly un- 
der the earth, as if nature intended that no place 
fhould be left entirely untenanted. From our 
own fenfations, we fliould naturally imagine that 
the life of a quadruped doomed to hunt under 
ground for it's prey, and whenever it removed 
from one place to another, obliged to force it's 
way through a refifting body, muft be the moft 
frightful and folitary in nature; but, notvv^ithftand- 
ing all thefe feeming inconveniencies, we difcover 
no figns of diftrefs or wretchednefs in this animal. 
No quadruped appears flitter, nor has a more 
fieek and glofiTy {km. Though unqueftionably ' 
denied many advantages that moft other animals 
enjoy, it is more abundantly pofleffed of others, 
which they hold in an inferior degree. 
The Mole is of a fize between the rat and the 
moufe, but does not refemble either, being an ani- 
mal of a very fingular kind, and very different 
from any other quadruped. It is cloathed with 
fine ihort glofly black hair; it's nofe is long, and 
pointed like that of the hog, but much longer in 
proportion; and, inftead of external ears, it has 
only holes. It's neck is fo fhort, that the head 
feems as it were ftuck on the flToulders; the body 
is thick and round, terminating in a very fhort 
tail; and the legs are fo extremely fnort, that the 
animal feems to reft on it's belly. Thus the Mole 
appears, ai firft view, liive a mafs of flefli covered 
by a fine fliining black flcin; v/ith a little head, 
fmall eyes, and almoft imperceptible legs. 
The ancients, and Ibme of the moderns^, were of 
opinion, that this animal was utterly blind; but 
Derham, by the aiTiftance of a microfcope, plainly 
difcovered all the parts of the eye that are known 
in other creatures, fuch as the pupil, the vitreous 
and the chryftalline humours. 
The fore-legs of the Mole, though very fliort, 
are ftrong, and each furnillied with five claws, 
which are turned outwards and backwards, like 
the hands of a man when in the atft of fwimmino-. 
The hind-leos are lonp-er and m.ore feeble than the 
fore, being only deftined to affift the animal's pro- 
grefTive motions; Vv'hereas the others are conti- 
nually employed in digging. The teeth refem- 
ble thofe of a fhrew-moufe; and the tongue is fuf- 
ficiently large to fill the whole cavity of the 
mouth. 
Such is the fingular figure and formation of 
the Mole; in which, if compared v/i:h it's man- 
ner of living, we fhall difcover a manifeft atten- 
tion of nature to adapt the one to the other. As 
it is allotted a fubterraneous abode, the feeming 
defe6ls of it's formation vanifh, or rather, are 
turned to it's advantage. The breadth, ftrength, 
and fliortnefs, of the fore-feet, which are inclined 
outwards, anfwer thepurpofes of digging, throwing 
back the earth with greater facility, and purfuing 
the worms and infefts on which it fubfifts : had 
they been longer, the finking in of the earth would 
have prevented the quick repetition of it's ftrokcs 
in working; or have obliged it to form a larger 
hole, in order to make room for their exertions. 
Nor is tlie fhape of the body of this creature lefs 
happily adapted to the purpofe of it's deftination: 
the fore-part, which is thick and very mufcular, 
affords much ftrength to the aftion of the fore- 
feet; enables it to dig it's way with amazing force 
and rapidity; and either to purfue it's prey, or 
elude the fearch of it's moft vigilant enemies. By 
it's faculty of perforating the earth, it quickiv 
defcends below the furface; and, when turned 
loofe in the midft of a field, the attempts of die 
moft aftive labourer to prevent it from inhuming 
itfelf, often prove abortive. 
The minutenefs of the Mole's eyes, which in- 
duced the ancients to deem that animal blind, is 
in fa£l a peculiar advantage to it. A fmall degree 
of vifion is fufncient for a creature deftined to live 
always in darknefs; a more extenfive fight would 
only have ferved to difcover to it the horrors of it's 
prifon, while nature had denied it the means of 
efcape. Had this organ been larger, it would 
have been perpetually obnoxious to injuries; but 
nature, in order to prevent any external hurt, has 
not only made the eyes fmall, but alfo covered 
them very clofely with hair. Befides thefe advan- 
tages, anatomifts mention another, that effentially 
contributes to their fecurity; namely, a certain 
mufcle, by which the animal can draw back the 
eye whenever it finds it convenient or neceilary. 
As the eyes of the Mole are thus perfeftly fitted 
to it's fituation, fo alio are it's lenfes of hearing 
and fmelling: the firft" gives the animal intimation 
of the moft diftant approaches of danger; and the 
other directs it, in the midft of darknefs, to it's 
proper food. The wants of a fubterraneous ani- 
mal can be but few, and thofe fenfes are fufficient 
to fupply them : to procure imm.ediate fubfiftencCj 
and to propagate it's kind, are the whole employ- 
ments of fuch a life; and for both thefe purpofes 
it is amply provided. 
Thus is the Mole admirably adapted for a life 
of darknefs and folitude ; with only fuch appetites 
as are eafily indulged, and harrafTed by no enemies 
but 
