86 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
cording to Pliny aiul Strabo, they were fo 
great a nuifance in the Balearic Iflands, in 
the reign of Augulhis, they were under the 
necelFity of imploring the afliftance of a mi- 
litary force from the Romans to extirpate 
them. A Spanifli hillorian alfo fays, that, on 
the difeovery of a fmall ifland, which they 
named Puerto Santo, or Holy Haven, where 
they were faved from fliipwreck, they put a 
pair of rabbits on Ihore, which increafed fo 
much in the courfe of a few years, that they 
drove away the inhabitants, by deftroyiiig 
their corn and plants, who left them to enjoy 
the ifland without oppofition. 
rhe MOLE. 
A S if nature had meant that no part of 
the earth fhould be untenanted, fo the mole is 
formed in fuch a manner, as to live entirely 
underground. The fixe of this animal is be- 
tween that of the rat and the monfe, but 
without any refcmblance of either, being 
quite ditferent from any other of the four- 
footed race. It has a nofe like a hog, but 
longer in proportion ; inflead of ears, it has 
only two holes ; and its eyes are fo remarkably 
fmall that it is with the greateft difficulty 
they are difeovered. 
The moderns, as well as the ancients, 
univerfally of opinion that the mole 
was 
were 
