Family TALPID^. 
Genus Talpa. 
THE COMMON MOLE. 
Talpa europtsa, Linnaeus. 
Plate 8. 
Living an almost entirely underground life, the form of the Mole is 
wonderfully adapted for this kind of existence, the elongated flexible 
snout, cylindrical body, and great muscular power of the forearm and 
hand enabling it to make its subterranean galleries with great ease and 
speed. 
The hands or forefeet, armed with strong claws, usually turn out- 
wards from the body, but can when required bend downwards with 
their palms towards the ground if used to hold a worm. The hind feet, 
compared with the hands, are small and weak. The eyes, extremely 
minute, are hidden by the surrounding fur, and the question whether 
they are used by the animal has been often raised. Yet the Mole 
when above ground seems to have some glimmering of sight. One I 
kept alive for a day or two when making sketches for the Plate would some- 
times slightly raise its head, at the same time partly opening out the 
fur concealing the eyes, these appeared as tiny black dots on the naked 
skin. 
No external part of the ear is visible. 
The tail, measuring slightly more than an inch in length and clothed 
with bristly hairs, is cocked upwards when the animal is excited. The 
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