SCALOPS AQUATICUS. 
59 
in repairing their damaged galleries, and in long continued wet 
weather we find that they seek the high grounds for security. The 
precision with which they daily come to the surface at twelve o’clock 
is very remarkable, and is well known in the country. In many in- 
stances when we have watched them, they appeared exactly at twelve, 
and at this time only have we succeeded in taking them alive, which 
is easily done by intercepting their progress with a spade, broad 
blade, &c., and throwing them on the surface. ” * 
Audubon and Bachman discourse as follows upon the feeding 
habits of one they had in confinement : “ When this Mole was fed 
on earth-worms ( Lumbricus terrains), as we have just related, we 
heard the worms crushed in the strong jaws of the animal, with a 
noise somewhat like the grating of broken glass, which was probably 
caused by its strong teeth gnashing on the sand or grit contained in 
the bodies of the worms. These were placed singly on the ground 
near the animal, which after smelling around for a moment turned 
about in every direction with the greatest activity, until he felt a 
worm, when he seized it between the outer surface of his hands or 
fore-paws, and pushed it into his mouth with a continually repeated 
forward movement of the paws, cramming it downward until all was 
in his jaws. Small sized earth-worms were dispatched in a very 
short time ; the animal never failing to begin with the anterior end 
of the worm, and apparently cutting it as he eat, info small pieces, 
until the whole was devoured. On the contrary, when the earth- 
worm was of a large size, the Mole seemed to find some difficulty in 
managing it, and munched the worm sideways, moving it from one 
side of its mouth to the other. On these occasions the gritting of 
its teeth, which we have already spoken of, can be heard at a distance 
of several feet Although this species, as we have seen, 
feeds principally on worms, grubs, &c., we have the authority of 
our friend Ogden Hammond, Esq., for the following example either 
* Loc. cit. , pp. 63-64, 65. 
