4G4 
moles, that if a piece of elder be bruised or scraped and put into a 
mole’s run, the moles will desert the place. "Without intending to 
annoy my mole longer than was necessary, I put such a bit of elder 
into its box, but the mole showed not the slightest sign of dislike 
to the elder ; but applied its nose and hands to the stick, thoroughly 
examined it, and then tried in vain to climb up it, probably hoping 
to escape from the box by it. Both the black and the whitish or 
yellow moles vary much in size, and also in the number of ribs, 
both having sometimes fourteen pairs, whilst other specimens of 
both colours have but thirteen pairs of ribs, and some have fourteen 
ribs on one side and only thirteen on the other side. They vary 
also in the number of thoracic vertebra), in the number of caudal 
vertebra), and in the number of vertebra) which form the sacrum. 
Moles have two chevron bones under each inter-vertebral space 
of the tail. In one specimen which I dissected the anterior 
caudal vertebra has a spine ; but the number of caudal 
vertebra) is twelve, and the sacrum contains five vertebra). I 
have plenty of evidence from other witnesses confirming the 
above statements as to season and number of young moles, also 
as to tbe occurrence of moles pied, entirely rusty coloured, and 
entirely grey. 
Shrew (Sorcx araneus). August 11th, 187G. Whilst pupa 
digging at Foxley wood, I found in a deep hole under the roots of 
a large oak, a nest of six blind young shrews, apparently of this 
species. Their toils were moderately long, and were not ciliated ; 
their snouts seemed out of all proportion, and looked as big or 
bigger than those of old shrews. They reminded me, in their appear- 
ance, very much of young moles. They squeaked rather like bats. 
I often find the common shrew, and sometimes the oared shrew, 
lying dead. Some years ago I found in a stubble field from which 
the corn had just been cut (or carried?), a great number of shrews 
(I think there were a hundred or more) lying dead : most, if not 
all, of them had their backs injured, as if each shrew had suffered 
a single bite or nip across the back. I remember that they varied 
much in colour and size ; but at the time I did not know anything 
of the different species, and unfortunately I was not sufficiently 
interested in quadrupeds to make the best use of such an unusual 
opportunity for comparing specimens. 
