COMMON MOLE. 
451 
contributes to their security ; namely, a certain 
muscle, by which the animal can draw back the eye, 
whenever it is necessary, or in danger. 
As the eye is thus perfectly fitted to the animal's 
situation, so also are the senses of hearing and 
smelling. The first gives it notice of the most 
distant appearance of danger ; the other directs it, 
in the midst of darkness, to its food. The wants 
of a subterraneous animal can be but few ; and 
these are sufficient to supply them ; to eat, and 
to produce its kind, are the whole employment of 
such a life ; and for both these purposes, it is won- 
derfully adapted by nature. 
Thus admirably is this animal fitted for a life 
of darkness and solitude ; with no appetites but 
what it can easily indulge, with no enemies 
but what it can easily evade or conquer. As soon 
as it has once buried itself in the earth, it seldom 
stirs out, unless forced by violent rains in summer, 
©r when in pursuit of its prey, it happens to come 
too near the surface, and thus gets into the open air, 
which may be considered as its unnatural element. 
In genera], it chooses the looser, softer grounds, 
beneath which it can travel with greater ease ; 
in such, also, it generally finds the greatest number 
of worms and insects upon which it chiefly prey s. 
It is observed to be most active, and to cast up 
most earth, immediately before rain ; and, in wifi- 
ter, before a thaw ; at those times the worms and 
insects begin to be in motion, and approach the 
surface, whither this industrious animal pursues 
them. On the contrary, in very dry weather, the 
mole seldom or never forms any hillocks ; for 
then it is obliged to penetrate deeper after its prey, 
which, at such seasons, retire far into the ground. 
As the moles very seldom come above ground, 
they have but few enemies; and very readily evade 
the pursuit of animals stronger and swifter than 
