68 
MAMMALIA. 
some place to escape, leaping about squeaking in their efforts to keep 
out of the way ot the mole which pursued them constantly. The 
mole’s mode of attack was to seize the mouse in the region of the 
throat. This it did by turning its head as it sprang at the mouse, at 
the same time utterinor a chattering sound. The mice would strike 
at, and usually knock the mole away with their front feet, but if the 
latter got a hold of the mouse, it would then try to bite, and they 
would both tumble about like dogs in a fight. The little chap at last 
attacked one mouse and kept with it, and in about ten minutes had 
it killed ; but even before it was dead the mole commenced eating its 
eyes and face. About ten minutes later the mole had devoured all 
the head of the mouse and continued to eat. I have captured and 
caged several moles this winter and they all display the same untiring 
greedy nature. According to my observations the little mammal 
under consideration eats about twice or three times its own weight 
of food every 24 hours and when we consider that their principal 
food consists of insects, it is quite bewildering to imagine the myriads 
one must destroy in a year.” * 
Upon reading the above very interesting observations, I immedi- 
ately wrote to Mr. Morden for a specimen of the “ mole ” in question. 
It was kindly sent me and proved to be an unusually large Short- 
tailed Shrew ( Blarina brevicauda). 
I had not previously known that the Shrew was a mouse-eater, 
and hence determined to repeat Mr. Morden’s experiments. There- 
fore, having caught a vigorous, though undersized Shrew, I put him 
in a large wooden box and provided him with an ample supply of 
beechnuts, which he ate eagerly. He was also furnished with a 
saucer of water, from which he frequently drank. After he had re- 
mained two days in these quarters, I placed in the box with him an 
uninjured and very active white-footed mouse. The Shrew at the 
time weighed 11.20 grammes, while the mouse, which was a 
* Canadian Sportsman and Naturalist, vol. Ill, Nos. XI & XU, December, 1883 [not published 
till February, 1884], p. 283. 
