58 
MAMMALIA. 
abundance of some favorite food — perhaps a colony of grubs feeding 
upon the roots of the grass. 
When the Shrew Mole encounters a rock, or an old log or stump, 
in the course of his subterranean wanderings, instead of avoiding it, 
he takes great pains to burrow beneath, making extensive excavations 
in contact with its under surface. The reason is obvious, for he 
knows as well as we do that in such places are to be found many 
earth-worms, slugs, ants with their eggs, and other tender insects. 
It is not probable that the remoter secondary galleries are traversed 
more than a few times, for the animal makes new ones every day ; 
but the primary passages which lead to the nest are in constant use, 
and are always kept in repair. In this connection Dr. Godman, whose 
biography of this species is the most complete and accurate we 
possess, observes : “ It is remarkable how unwilling they are to re- 
linquish a long frequented burrow ; I have frequently broken down 
or torn off the surface of the same burrow for several days in succes- 
sion, but would always find it repaired at the next visit. This was 
especially the case with one individual whose nest I discovered, which 
was always repaired within a short time, as often as destroyed. It 
was an oval cavity, about six or seven inches in length by three in 
breadth, and was placed at about eight inches from the surface in a 
stiff clay. The entrance to it sloped obliquely downwards from the 
common gallery, about two inches from the surface ; three times I 
entirely exposed this cell by cutting out the whole superincumbent 
clay with a knife, and three times a similar one was made a little 
beyond the situation of the former, the excavation having been con- 
tinued from its back part. I paid a visit to the same spot two months 
after capturing its occupant, and breaking up the nest, all the injuries 
were found to be repaired, and another excavated within a few inches 
of the old one. Most probably numerous individuals, composing a 
whole family, reside together in these extensive galleries." He 
further says : “ Shrew-moles are most active early in the morning, 
at mid-day, and in the evening ; after rains they are particularly busy 
