. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. THE MOLE FAMILY 57 *3^i. â >;Td 1. COMMON MOLE. STAR-NOSED MOLE. rat-like feet; there'is a very small eye, an ex- ternal ear, and a distinct neck. The body is rather slender, and as a whole, the animal looks much like a short-tailed mouse. THE MOLE FAMILY. Talpidae. This Family contains twelve full species, all quite interesting. Their skins and skulls have been studied closely, but our information re- garding their habits is very meagre. As a rule, moles ar
. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. THE MOLE FAMILY 57 *3^i. â >;Td 1. COMMON MOLE. STAR-NOSED MOLE. rat-like feet; there'is a very small eye, an ex- ternal ear, and a distinct neck. The body is rather slender, and as a whole, the animal looks much like a short-tailed mouse. THE MOLE FAMILY. Talpidae. This Family contains twelve full species, all quite interesting. Their skins and skulls have been studied closely, but our information re- garding their habits is very meagre. As a rule, moles are larger than shrews. The largest of all is an Oregon species, which measures 7 inches in length of head and body, and tail 1J inches,â an unusual size for a mole. On all moles the fur is fine, thick, very soft and velvety, and faultlessly smooth and clean. All these creatures love sandy soil, which they can easily burrow. The Common Mole1 is known to the ma- jority of country dwellers by its upheaved tunnels on the surface of the ground. In ap- pearance the animal is a flattened, oblong ball of fine, soft, shimmering gray fur, 6-J- inches long, 1 Sca'lops a-quat'i-cus. to which the naked, little pink-white tailâwhich looks like a small angle-wormâadds If inches. Its nose projects half an inch beyond its mouth, and on the end it feels as hard as if it contained a bone. It terminates in a broad, flattened point, shaped quite like a rock-drill. The fore foot is three-quarters of an inch wide, but less than an inch in length, including the claws, which measure half an inch. In your hand, a Mole is a wriggling, restless creature. Place it upon ground that is not packed hard, and in about one second it has found a suitable spot for an opening. Its nose sinks into the earth as if it were a brad-awl, with a combined pushing and boring motion, and in three seconds your Mole's head is no longer in sight. Up comes the powerful right foot, sliding close along the side of his head, edg
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