92 
“In motion the fore feet are thrust forward at the sides, with 
the edges answering to the thumb of a man’s hand, placed downward, 
and the nails taking hold in the earth; the body is drawn along with 
ease and rapidity, as a row-boat is propelled by oars, the hind legs carry- 
ing the posterior parts. Those I have observed burrowing through un- 
broken soil appeared to loosen the earth in front with the long snout, 
and then to thrust it aside with the fore feet by the same movement 
which carried the body forward, the ground being raised above by the 
upward pressure of its powerful head and shoulders. The snout was 
kept in constant motion, undoubtedly as much in search of food as to 
loosen the particles of earth for the passage of the body.”—Kennicott. 
The mole constantly furrows the ground in search of insects which it 
usually finds within two or three inches of the surface. It rarely goes 
deeper, unless in winter or very dry weather, when the insects are deeper. 
It is not known that this mole departs from its insectivorous habits 
Kennicott observed that specimens kept in confinement ate sparingly of 
potatoes and lettuce, but died in three days, while others, kept in barrels 
of earth in which both vegatables and softened and dry corn were abund- 
ant, died without eating them. 
It is not probable that this species does any injury to vegetation ; they 
rather protect it by destroying noxious insects, and much of the mis- 
chief attributed to them is done by the various Arvicole and Spermophiles. 
On certain English farms the Mole (Talpa europea) is regarded as a ben- 
efit, especially to grass lands and pastures. Our species is usually noc- 
turnal, sometimes found moving on cloudy days, and very early or very 
late on pleasant days. 
The nest is of soft grass or leaves, usually under a log or stump, nearly 
a foot, or even more, below the surface. From five to nine young have 
been observed; the gravid female has been observed in February ; young 
have been observed the last of May, and also in July. It is active in 
winter, andif the above statements are exact, there are probably two 
litters produced annually. 
GENus ScAPpANuS Pomel. 
Scalops, Cuvier, Lecons d’ Anat. Comp., i, 1800. 
Scapanus, Pomel,* Archives Sc. Phys, et Nat., ix, 247, 1848.—Gill, 
Synop. Insect. Mamm.—Bull, U.S. Geol. Surv., 2d Ser., No. 2, pp. 91- 
120.—-Jordan, Manual Vertebrates, 1876, 25, First Edition. 
*Nora.—Ce troisiéme genre différe des scalops par la position laterale et non supérieure 
de Vouverture des narines, et par Ja formule dentaire comprenant une intermédiaire 
supérieure et trois inferieures de plus. Les especes sont: Scapanus Townsendit et Bre- 
wert (Seal. Townsendit et Breweri, Bachm.)” Archives sc. Phys. et Nat., ix, 247, 1848. 
