Chapter 46

CHAPTER II.GOLDEN MOLES—MOLES—DESMANS—SHREWS.

General Description of the Golden Mole Family—Their Points of Difference from the True Mole—THECAPEGOLDENMOLE—Its Varieties—The Family of True Moles—THECOMMONMOLE—Described—Distribution—Teeth—Fore-limbs—Breast-bone—Not a Miserable Creature—Extreme Voracity—Diet—His Blindness a Popular Error—A Thirsty Soul—His Fortress—The Roads leading to it—Speed of a Frightened Mole—“Mole-hills”—A-wooing—His Strong Family Affections—His Persecution a Doubtful Benefit—THEBLINDMOLE—Several Allied Species—THESTAR-NOSEDMOLE—Its Snout—THECOMMONSHREWMOLE—Other Species in the United States—The Family of Desmans—THEDESMAN—Its Otter-like Habits—Its Trunk—THEPYRENEANDESMAN—THEHAIRY-TAILEDMOLE-SHREW—The Family of Shrews—THECOMMONSHREW—Or Shrew-Mouse—Superstitions about it—DEKAY’SSHREW—THEGARDENSHREW—THETUSCANSHREW—THERAT-TAILEDSHREW—THEWATERSHREW—Essentially Aquatic—Its Prey—Allied Species—THETIBETANWATERSHREW—THETAILLESSSHREW—Concluding Remarks—Classification—Distribution—Affinities

AFEWspecies of Insectivora, which, in their general form and habits more or less resemble our Common Moles, but differ from them in several important points of structure, form the family of the Chrysochloridæ, or Golden Moles. They are peculiar to the southern and eastern parts of Africa, ranging from the Cape to the Mozambique Coast.

SKULL OFGOLDEN MOLE.DENTITION OF GOLDEN MOLE.

SKULL OFGOLDEN MOLE.

DENTITION OF GOLDEN MOLE.

These animals have a cylindrical body, clothed with a fine, close fur, usually exhibiting a metallic lustre which has been compared to that presented by the feathers of some of the most brilliant birds. They have a conical head, short limbs, a very short, almost rudimentary tail, minute eyes, actually covered by the skin, and no external ears. From the form of the body, the texture of the hair, and the structure of the limbs, they are as evidently organised for burrowing underground as the Moles, with which they have generally beenassociated; but the structure of the mechanism by which their burrowing is effected is so different that, taken in conjunction with certain other characters, it has led modern zoologists to regard the Golden Moles, notwithstanding their scanty numbers, as constituting a perfectly distinct family of the Insectivora.

The skull is shorter, more wedge-shaped, and more elevated at the back than in the true Moles, and the premaxillary bones form a process which is curiously turned outwards (seefigure, p. 365), but this does not run to the extremity of the snout, which is supported by cartilages. The dentition is very peculiar. The total number of teeth is either thirty-six or forty, one species having two molars less in each jaw than the others; the front upper pair are large and pyramidal in form, presenting some resemblance to the corresponding teeth in the Desmans; these are followed on each side by three minute teeth, and these again by five or six true molars, of prismatic form. In the lower jaw there are two pairs of front teeth, followed on each side by three small pointed teeth (premolars), and by four or five true molars.

STERNUM OFGOLDEN MOLE.FORE-FOOT OFGOLDEN MOLE.(After Owen.)

STERNUM OFGOLDEN MOLE.

FORE-FOOT OFGOLDEN MOLE.(After Owen.)

The structure of the anterior limb, and of the parts which support it, is peculiar and characteristic, differing materially from that which obtains in the true Moles. In the sternum there are seven similar pieces, which receive the extremities of ribs, and behind these a semi-cartilaginous piece, called the ensiform (or sword-like) appendage. In front of the rib-receiving pieces is a large bone (themanubrium), excavated on each side behind to receive the ends of the collar-bones, and furnished along its lower surface with a ridge serving for the attachment of a part of the powerful muscles by which the fore limbs are moved. The form of this part is very different from that of the corresponding piece in the Mole (seep. 368). The form and mode of articulation of the collar-bones (clavicles) is also very different. In the True Moles the clavicle is a short, thick bone, almost resembling the vertebra of a fish; in the Golden Moles it is a longer and more slender bone, of ordinary form, and articulated after an ordinary fashion, both with the sternum and the shoulder-blade. The latter bone is larger than in the Mole, and has a very strong spine, which projects far beyond the articulation of the humerus (arm-bone). The humerus itself is a more slender bone than in the Mole, and more of the ordinary form, although it has a very strong tuberosity near the lower extremity; and one of the carpal bones (the pisiform) is most unusually developed, passing up alongside of the bones of the fore-arm (radius and ulna), until it reaches the humerus. The fore foot is quite different in its construction from that of the Mole. The latter consists of five toes, armed with large flat claws, and forms a shovel-like organ, turned outwards in a peculiar manner. The fore foot of the Golden Mole has only four digits, of which the inner and outer ones (I. and IV.in figure) are small, while the second and third toes (II. and III.) are large and armed with very large claws; the claw-joint of the third, especially, being of enormous size, and cleft nearly to its base. With this powerful instrument the Golden Mole digs his way very readily through the ground, using his hind feet, which have five toes, and much resemble those of ordinary Moles, to push him forward in his burrows.

The Cape Golden Mole is about the size of our Common Mole, or a little more than five inches in length. The colour of its fur is brown, but according as the light falls upon it it shows brilliant golden and iridescent green and purple reflections; a patch round the eye and a streak from the eye to the angle of the mouth are yellowish-brown; and the throat has a greenish tinge. The claws are of a light brown colour.

The Golden Mole inhabits the Cape of Good Hope and Caffraria, where it feeds, like our British Mole, upon insects and worms, which it captures by burrowing through the ground. In the settled districts it is as much disliked as the Mole in Europe, on account of the damage which it does in fieldsand gardens by its subterranean activity. Several South African forms, nearly related to the above, but differing more or less in the colour and texture of the hair, have been described as distinct species by various zoologists; but these are now regarded as mere varieties ofChrysochloris capensis, which has also received the names ofaureaandinaurata. Besides these, Dr. Günther has described a species from Caffraria, under the name ofC. Trevelyani, which has the fur brownish and not lustrous, and also presents some minor differences of structure. The Blunt-nosed Golden Mole (C. obtusirostris) of Professor Peters, from Mozambique and Caffraria, which has a lustrous coat, has one molar less on each side in each jaw, so that the whole number of teeth is only thirty-six, and hence, and from some peculiarities in the structure of the lower molars, and the absence of a bladder-like enlargement in the temporal fossa, which occurs in the other species, Professor Mivart has placed it in a distinct genus, under the name ofChalcochloris.

The True Moles constitute a very distinct family of Insectivora, characterised more especially by their complete organisation for a subterranean life. They have a more or less cylindrical body, with short limbs, of which the front pair are converted into most powerful digging organs, the construction of which will be noticed in the description of our common British species. The head is small, with the muzzle produced and generally pointed, and the eyes and ears concealed, the former being generally almost covered by a membrane; the skull is elongated, rather flat, with a distinct, thin zygomatic arch; the bones of the shank (tibiaandfibula) are united; the wrist has a sickle-shaped bone on the inside, which passes to and helps to support the first digit; and the intestine has no cæcum. The teeth vary somewhat in number.

The Moles usually form a subterranean dwelling which exhibits considerable ingenuity in its construction, and live upon worms, the larvæ of insects, and other small animals which they capture whilst making their way beneath the surface of the ground. They inhabit the northern half of both hemispheres, not a single species being known to occur south of the Equator. The best known species, whose history may serve as a type of that of the family, is

The Common Mole of Great Britain, although an animal not very often seen, is yet so well known as regards its general appearance that we need hardly describe it. It has a plump, nearly cylindrical body, with very short limbs, a short tail, and a long, pointed muzzle. The eyes are so minute as to escape observation; the external ears are wanting; the body is covered with a velvet-like coat of hairs of a black or blackish-brown colour, with more or less of a whitish tinge in certain lights; and the feet, which are naked, are flesh-coloured. The total length of the animal is usually about six inches, of which not more than half an inch is made up by the tail.

COMMON MOLE.

The Common Mole occurs not only in the British Islands, but across the whole of the central and southern parts of the continent of Europe, extending northwards as far as the southern shore of the Baltic and throughout Denmark, thus justifying Shakspere’s allusion to it in “Hamlet.” It also stretchesacross Central Asia to the confines of China, and according to some writers extends through Persia into India. It is subject to much variation, which may be due to differences of soil or climate. Thus Mr. Bell records Moles “of a deep black colour, of a mouse-grey, dark olive-brown, pied, yellowish-white, and wholly or partially orange;” and mentions specimens from Berne “of the usual dark-colour, but having a well-defined lozenge-shaped patch of orange on the breast.”

DENTITION OF COMMON MOLE.

The Common Mole is the type of the restricted genusTalpa, the species of which are entirely confined to Europe and Asia. In these animals the elongated muzzle projects considerably beyond the opening of the mouth, and contains a pair of long tubular nostrils; it is supported by cartilage, and further strengthened by a small bone at the extreme tip. The teeth with which the jaws are armed are of formidable character, and plainly indicate the predaceous habits of the animal. There are always three true molars on each side in each jaw, and these are armed with several strong points united by ridges, but the number of the other teeth is slightly variable (the total number of teeth ranging between forty and forty-four), and even the determination of their precise nature is somewhat obscure. The dentition of the Common Mole (seefigure) is now, however, generally regarded as follows: In the upper jaw, on each side, three incisors, one large canine provided with two roots, and four premolars, of which the hindmost is of large size; in the lower jaw, on each side, four incisor-like teeth, the hindmost of which is probably a canine, and four premolars, the foremost of which is very like a canine. The variation in number is caused by the absence of some of the premolars and incisors of the lower jaw.

FORE-LIMBS OF COMMON MOLE.

The structure of the fore-limbs, and the bones supporting them, in the Mole and its allies, is not only to be regarded as their most distinctive character, but also as furnishing a most striking example of the adaptation of means to ends. The Moles are condemned to live almost constantly underground, and their very existence depends on the facility with which they can make their way through the earth. The fore-feet, by means of which they dig, are accordingly converted into strong, broad, shovel-like organs, armed with broad, flat claws. The five toes of which these feet are composed consist each of two short joints and a long one, the latter making nearly half the length of the organ; and these long joints, which support the claws, are cleft at the tip and grooved underneath to receive an internal process of the nail, which serves to add to its strength and firmness. The bones of the wrist are short and firmly packed together, and from the scaphoid bone springs a long curved falciform bone (fin figure), which runs from the wrist to the first toe, which it helps materially to stiffen and support. The arm which supports this powerful hand is also of peculiar construction. In the forearm (a) the radius and ulna are distinct, but the acromion (or elbow) process of the latter is very long, and widened at the extremity, giving great power to the action of the limb. The humerus (b) is quite different from anything to be met with elsewhere in the Mammalia, being a short and very stout bone, rendered most irregular in its outline by the development of great crests and processes. It not onlyarticulates with the shoulder-blade, but has a separate surface for the reception of the extremity of the collar-bone (c), which is a short bone resembling the vertebra of a fish. The shoulder-blade (d) is long and narrow, but stout and triangular in its form.

STERNUM OF COMMON MOLE.

The sternum, or breast-bone, upon which all these parts rest, is scarcely less singular in its structure (seefigure). The body of the sternum consists of four short pieces, which receive the ends of the ribs. Behind these is a slender ensiform process (e), and in front of them a manubrium (m), or presternum, of peculiar form, and quite as long as the whole middle part of the sternum. This part is widened in part of its length, receives a single pair of ribs in its hinder division, has a strong keel for the attachment of the pectoral muscles along its lower surface, and is much thickened at its front extremity, to the sides of which the collar-bones (c) are articulated. By this arrangement the whole fore-limb is thrown forward close to the head, and placed in the most favourable position for facilitating the burrowing operations of the animal, which are effected by bringing forward the fore-feet to the level of the nose, and then separating them and pushing backward, with an action that might almost be styledswimmingthrough the ground. The hind feet, which are much smaller than those just described, are perfectly plantigrade in their structure. They also contain five toes, armed with small sharp claws, and are used only for the purpose of progression.

When we consider the structure of the Mole, and its perfect adaptation to its mode of life, we may agree with Mr. Bell in the belief that although superficial observers may regard it as a miserable creature, such a notion is an absolute mistake. It is true that the Mole, like so many of our own race, is condemned to almost perpetual exertion; but in the case of human beings we find that physical exertion at any rate is of itself so little of an absolute evil that many of our favourite amusements involve no small amount of it, and moral writers are rather fond of dwelling on the pleasure of earning one’s dinner before eating it. Now this is no more than our friend the Mole has to do, so that he can hardly be looked upon as an object either of pity or contempt; and in fact, in his own quiet way, he probably manages to enjoy his life as much as his neighbours. In going about in his subterranean galleries the Mole is constantly engaged in looking out for suitable food, a very large supply of which is necessary for his comfortable existence. M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire says that the appetite of hunger in the Mole is a sort of frenzy, the animal when in view of its prey becoming violently agitated, and throwing itself on its victim as if maddened with rage. Vegetable substances constitute no part of its diet, although it is said sometimes to gnaw the roots of plants in search of the insects and larvæ which feed upon them. Its favourite food consists of earthworms, in pursuit of which it sometimes comes to the surface so eagerly as to throw itself out of its burrow. It is in search of these animals, and especially of the larvæ of various insects which feed upon the roots of grasses and other plants, that the Mole makes its most superficial galleries.

The Mole appears not to be particular in its tastes in the matter of food, and will readily make a meal upon animals much larger and higher in the scale of organisation than those above mentioned, should they happen to come in its way. Mice, small birds, Lizards, and Frogs, if placed within its reach, it will seize and hold with the ferocity and tenacity of a thoroughbred Bull-dog, and even weaker individuals of its own species are killed and devoured. According to M. Geoffroy, in attacking birds it makes use of a good deal of stratagem to get unobserved within reach of its prey, and then by a sudden and violent attack seizes the bird by the belly, tears it open with its powerful claws, and thrusts its muzzle among the unfortunate creature’s entrails, with every appearance of intense enjoyment. M. Flourens gives a similar account of its proceedings. Professor Lenz also describes the voracity of the Mole, and its determined mode of destroying larger animals than one would suppose it capable of managing. A Mole in his possession destroyed and devoured, in the course of twenty-four hours, a large Slowworm, a large Snail, two Chrysalids, and a Snake about thirty-two inches long. Of the reptiles he left nothing but the skin and the bones.

It is probably by the sense of smell chiefly that the Mole is guided in its search for prey. Brehm found that when he had got a Mole buried in some earth in a box, and placed a few fragments of chopped meat on the surface, in a few minutes the earth rose, the muzzle of the Mole appeared, and the meat was devoured. The sense of sight is perhaps in general of little use to the animal; but there are times in its life when to see is an advantage; and time-honoured as the belief may be, there is no doubt that the supposition that the Mole is blind is merely a popular error. It has indeed longbeen known to naturalists not only that the Mole had eyes, but that these were sufficiently open to enable him to see, and at one time considerable obloquy was heaped upon the memory of Aristotle for having given origin to a statement to the contrary. It would appear, however, that Aristotle’s statement was approximately correct with respect to the southern European species upon which his observations were probably made, and the error was that of those naturalists who applied the assertions of the Greek philosopher to a different animal.

Like other great gormandisers, the Mole is an exceedingly thirsty creature. “Where a colony of Moles exists,” says Mr. Bell, “a run is always made towards the nearest ditch or pond;” and the same writer states, on the authority of Mr. Jackson, an intelligent Mole-catcher, that where water cannot conveniently be reached, “the animal sinks deep, perpendicular shafts, at the bottom of which water is always found, to which the Mole has easy access. Sometimes, also according to the observations of Mr. Jackson, these wells are full to the brim.” These statements are confirmed by a German Mole-catcher, cited by Brehm.

We have already seen that the essential conditions of the Mole’s life consist in continual burrowing. Hence, not unnaturally, the animal shows a marked preference for light soils, and through these he makes his way with remarkable ease and rapidity. Oken says of a Mole, which he kept for six months, that when put into a box of sand, it would make its way through the sand almost as quickly as a fish through the water. In its natural mode of life, however, it by no means confines itself to such vagarious proceedings, but constructs a most complex habitation, which is formed with wonderful art.

MOLE’S FORTRESS.

Each Mole has his own encampment, frequently entirely separate from those of his fellows, but sometimes the animals evince a rather more sociable disposition, and condescend to make use of a common passage. But in his encampment, each Mole always has his own dwelling, which has been, not inappropriately, styled his fortress, and this certainly displays great ingenuity and skill in its design and construction (seefigure). It is formed under a hillock of earth, in a situation which affords some protection to the little domicile. Its roof is a firm dome, the earth composing it being pressed into a solid mass by the Mole while excavating the internal passages and chambers. Beneath this there are two circular galleries, one above the other, the lower one considerably larger than the upper, with which it communicates by five nearly equi-distant passages, running slantingly upwards. Within the lower circular gallery is situated the actual dwelling-place or chamber, to which access is obtained by three passages descending from the upper gallery, so that when within his house the Mole has to go both up and down stairs to reach his bedroom. But the chamber has another issue by a passage which at first descends for a short distance, and then rises again to lead into the high road running to and from the fortress, which is always single; and, on the other hand, the lower and larger gallery gives off about nine other passages, which either terminate at a short distance from the fortress, or, after making a detour, return into the high road. So cautious is the Mole, that the apertures of these passages are said seldom to be made opposite to those which lead from the lower to the upper circular gallery. With these arrangements it must be confessed that the Mole has provided admirably for being “not at home” to unwelcome visitors.

The same caution that prompts the Mole to the formation of so complicated a castle leads him to take equal care in the construction of the road leading into it. This usually runs in a direct line from one end of the animal’s camping-ground to the other, and forms a highway by which he can go quickly about his business. It is large enough to enable him to pass through it easily, but in making it he is careful not to throw out the earth as he does in his ordinary runs, and the whole passage appears to bechiefly formed by compression of the earth by the little engineer. By his constant passing to and fro, its walls become singularly smooth and compact. Occasionally a Mole will form two or more high roads leading from his fortress, probably when supplies fall short and it is necessary to open up new ground; and sometimes several Moles share the same highway, perhaps in localities where worms and grubs are peculiarly fat and abundant. But in the latter case, as there is not room in the little tunnel for one Mole to pass another, if two of them meet by accident one must give way or retire into a side alley, otherwise a violent combat ensues, when the weaker is ruthlessly killed and devoured. The road varies in its depth from the surface according to the nature of the soil and other circumstances; in safe localities it is usually at a depth of four or five inches.

It is through this well-beaten path that the Mole goes out to his hunting-grounds, and by it also that he is obliged to return. The Mole-catchers are well aware of this peculiarity in the habits of the animal, and one of their most successful devices for its capture consists in placing traps in the course of the high road at a time when the Mole is sure to be out on a foraging expedition, so as to intercept him on his way home. The rapidity of its motion along the high road, especially when alarmed, was demonstrated by an amusing experiment shown to M. Geoffroy St. Hilaire by M. Le Court. The latter, having ascertained the direction of a Mole’s road, and found that the animal was hunting at its furthest extremity, placed all along the line at certain distances pieces of straw, passing one end of each into the little tunnel, and attaching little paper flags to the other. He then inserted a horn close to the extremity of the tunnel, and, blowing into it, produced a frightful noise, upon hearing which the Mole naturally made the best of his way home to his fortress, indicating his progress by throwing off the little flags as he passed the successive straws. It was estimated that the speed of the frightened animal was equal to that of a Horse at full trot.

The extreme voracity of the Mole has already been mentioned, but it may be urged in his excuse that the hard labour he has to perform renders a considerable amount of good nourishment absolutely essential to him. Mr. Bell says that his activity in search of food is principally in the morning and evening, and that he sleeps the greater part of the day. In seeking his food, the course adopted by him in making his highway would not answer: he must now dig through the ground to see what it contains, and in doing this he is of course embarrassed by the loose stuff that he dislodges. To get rid of this he makes his way to the surface from time to time, breaks through, and pushes the troublesome rubbish out with his nose, producing those well-known “Mole-hills” of loose earth which so commonly betray his progress in our fields and meadows. The depth at which the Mole works in his hunting-grounds depends very much upon circumstances. In light and newly-worked soils, after rain, when the earthworms especially come to the surface, the Mole will travel along in a sort of shallow trench in pursuit of his prey. In winter we have the reverse of this picture, for then the Moles are compelled to go far down in pursuit of the worms, which have been driven from the surface by the frost.

It must not be supposed, however, that eating and sleeping make up the whole life-history of the Mole. Very early in the year a time comes when he feels strange emotions stirring within him, and then he goes off gallantly, in his velvet coat, in search of a partner in his lonely encampment. That he will not be allowed to bring home his bride without many an appeal to his weapons is almost a matter of necessity, for by some singular dispensation the number of male Moles is very much greater than that of the opposite sex, a disproportion which, as might be expected, gives rise to a good deal of jealousy and its natural consequences among such fierce and untamed spirits. As the male goes on his wooing he makes numerous but very shallow tracks in all directions. These have received the elegant name oftraces d’amourfrom the French naturalists. The lady having been found, the next business is to secure possession of her, and this is attended with considerable difficulties, both from the impertinent intrusion of other males, and from a tendency on the part of the lady herself to run away from the proffered happiness. The intending bridegroom must have rather a hard time of it. But at length the bride’s coyness and the assiduities of rivals are got rid of, and the pair settle down to inhabit for a time the same encampment, and to bring up their little family. It would appear that the affection of the male for his mate continues to be of a very warm kind, at least M. Le Court states that he several times found a female caught in a trap with the male lying dead beside her. The possession of strong family affections by the Mole would seem further to be proved by an observation communicated to M. Le Court, according to which, whenthe Mole’s nest is invaded by a sudden flood, both parents may be seen struggling bravely, and risking their own lives to save their young, and mutually assisting and protecting each other while thus engaged.

The period of gestation in the Mole does not appear to be very accurately known, but it is supposed to be about two months. The young are brought forth earlier or later, according to the season, but most commonly in April. There are generally four or five, but sometimes only three, and occasionally six or even seven in a litter. They are produced in a nest lined with grass, fine roots, dried leaves, and similar materials collected in a sort of chamber, which is formed by the enlargement of the point of junction of three or four of the ordinary passages, always separate from the fortress, and often at a considerable distance from it. Only a single brood is produced in the year.

We have devoted so much space to the natural history of the Mole because, whilst it is really the most interesting, from this point of view, of all our British Mammals, there is no other which is exposed to such constant and severe persecution. In all parts of the country we find professional Mole-catchers, who make it their business to ascertain the habits of the animals, and taking advantage of this knowledge, capture them in great numbers. We shall not attempt to describe the various contrivances used to effect these massacres. It will suffice to state that the principle on which most of them are worked is the insertion into the ascertained run of the Mole of a trap of some kind, which catches him as he is passing. The grounds upon which this war of extermination is waged against the Mole are chiefly the mischiefs which it causes by means of its runs and burrows in fields and pastures; but it may be questioned whether the Mole does not more than compensate for any damage thus produced by the destruction of many insects and other noxious animals.

We have already mentioned a southern European species which may have given origin to Aristotle’s statements as to the blindness of the Mole. This is an inhabitant of Italy, Dalmatia, and Greece, and is said to occur rarely in the south of France, in Switzerland, and in some other parts of Europe. It closely resembles the common species, but has the eyes covered by a membrane pierced only by a minute hole, so that the animal’s sole visual consciousness must be limited to a mere perception of light. Its fur is of a deep greyish-black colour; and it differs chiefly from the common European Mole in having the middle upper incisor teeth larger than the rest. In its general habits the Blind Mole agrees with our British species, but it is said to make its runs less extensive and nearer to the surface. Its nest also is said to be made in the chamber within the fortress.

Besides these, several nearly allied species of True Moles are found in northern India, chiefly among the hills, such as the Short-tailed Mole (Talpa micrura), in which the tail is exceedingly short, the Long-tailed Mole (T. macrura), and the White-tailed Mole (T. leucura). The first-named species inhabits Nepaul and Darjeling, and at the latter place, according to Mr. Jerdon, it is not uncommon, and many of the roads and pathways are intersected by its runs, which often proceed from the base of one great oak-tree to that of another. If the runs are broken into they are generally repaired during the night, and no Mole-hills are thrown up like those of the European Mole. The White-tailed Mole differs from the other species in having only three premolars on each side in each jaw, making forty teeth in all. Upon this ground Mr. Gill establishes the genusParascaptorfor it.

Still further east, in Japan, we find the Woogura Mole (Talpa woogura), which resembles the European Mole in general form and habits, but has the fur of a dingy tawny colour, and the nose unusually produced. In this species there are two incisors less in the lower jaw than inT. europæa, and M. Pomel forms for it the genusMogera.

The Abbé Armand David, during his travels in Chinese Mongolia, discovered a Mole closely resembling the European species in its general appearance and characters, which has been called the Musky Mole (Scaptochirus moschatus). It was found, however, to possess one premolar less on each side in each jaw than the True Moles (Talpa); and from certain peculiarities in the form of the teeth M. Milne-Edwards infers that the animal is less exclusively insectivorous than the Common Mole. It is remarkable for the strong musky odour which it diffuses. The Musky Mole has fur even softer than that of the European Mole, of a bright greyish-brown colour with a tawny tinge, and presenting a brilliantlustre. The muzzle is shorter than in the European Mole, and no trace either of ears or eyes can be detected externally. The tail is nearly naked, but almost concealed in the hairs of the body. Nothing seems to have been ascertained about the habits of this animal.

The Scaptonyx (Scaptonyx fusicaudatus) is another of the curious Eastern forms which so remarkably unite to each other different types of these small Mammals. In its external characters it resemblesUrotrichus, but it has the dentition of the genusTalpa, and the nostrils are not elongated into a proboscis. Its length is about two inches and a half, and the length of its tail about one inch and two-fifths. The fur is thick and soft, and the hairs are blue-black at the base, with a brownish tint towards the tip. The single specimen described was obtained on the borders of Kokonoor and Setchouan, but nothing is recorded of its habits.

Besides the Eastern forms to which we have just referred, there are a few American species of this family, which differ rather more decidedly from the ordinary Moles. Perhaps the most remarkable of them is the Star-nosed Mole, an inhabitant of Canada and the United States, extending from South Carolina to Hudson’s Bay, and stretching right across the continent, from ocean to ocean.

The most striking characteristic of this animal, which constitutes the genusCondylura, is the presence at the extremity of its elongated nose of a sort of fringe of about twenty long fleshy processes, forming a regular star, having the nostrils towards its centre. The namesRhinasterandAstromycter, both meaning “Star-nose,” have been given to the genus by different writers. The nameCondylurais founded on a mistake, the tail having been supposed to have a knob or knot. The tail is nearly as long as the body, the general appearance of which is mole-like, but the shoulders are stouter and heavier in proportion to the hind-quarters than in our Common Mole, although the digging hands are hardly so powerful. The last phalanges of the fingers are not cleft, as in the Mole. The skull is elongated, and the jaws contain in all forty-four teeth—namely, besides canines, three incisors, four premolars, and three true molars on each side in each jaw. The arrangement of the teeth in the long jaws is rather peculiar. In the upper jaw the two middle and the two outer incisors are of large size, and the latter are quite like canines; between them is a third minute tooth on each side. The true canine is very small; the first three premolars are thin and sharp, and the fourth much larger than the rest. In the lower jaw we find four projecting incisors, and behind the outer ones on each side a much smaller one, followed at an interval by a small canine with two roots. The eyes are very minute, and there are no external ears.

SIDE VIEW OF SNOUT OFSTAR-NOSED MOLE.FRONT VIEW OF SNOUTOF STAR-NOSED MOLE.

SIDE VIEW OF SNOUT OFSTAR-NOSED MOLE.

FRONT VIEW OF SNOUTOF STAR-NOSED MOLE.

This curious little animal, which measures about five inches in length, and has a tail about three inches long, is of a brownish-black colour, a little paler beneath, but appearing in certain lights perfectly black throughout. The naked, or nearly naked parts, such as the nose, with its singular appendages, and the feet, are generally of a flesh-colour, the tips of the fringes and of the claws being, in fact, quite rosy. The tail is well covered with hair.

The Star-nosed Mole, like the other members of its family, lives beneath the surface of the ground, where it is able to burrow rapidly in soft earth. It prefers the vicinity of brooks or swampy places. The galleries do not run so near the surface as those of the Common Shrew Mole of America. The nest is composed of dried grass, and placed in an excavation made under some protective object, such as a stump or the root of a tree. The young show scarcely any trace of the nasal appendages. The precise use of these curious organs in the adult does not seem to be ascertained; probably they aid as sensory organs in the discovery of the worms and larvæ of insects on which the creature feeds.

The Shrew Mole, which is often called simply the Mole in the United States, is another very widely-distributed species in North America, throughout the whole eastern part of which it is foundabundantly. Like the other species of its genus, which inhabit the territories farther west, the Common Shrew Mole has an elongated, slender snout, which is cut off obliquely at the end, so that the nostrils, which are situated in this sloping surface, are turned forwards and upwards, and are not visible from below; a short and nearly naked tail; and only thirty-six teeth, which present the following characters:—In the upper jaw there are on each side three incisors, of which the foremost is very large and pyramidal, whilst the other two are very small; then four compressed teeth, gradually increasing in size, of which the first may be regarded as a canine and the rest as premolars; and beyond these three large, true molars, each having the crown furnished with strong cusps, and distinctly divided into two parts. The lower jaw has only four instead of six incisors, and these are nearly horizontal, and the two inner ones are much smaller than the outer; these are followed immediately by three simple, gradually increasing teeth, regarded as premolars; and these again by three large true molars. According to this interpretation there are no lower canines. The feet are like those of the Mole, but the toes of the hind feet are webbed.

Two other species ofScalopsare found in the western parts of the United States. One of them, the Prairie Mole, or the Silvery Shrew Mole (S. argentatus), which is about seven inches long, and has the hairs annulated with white and lead colour, giving it a silvery appearance, inhabits the western prairies, advancing as far to the eastward as Ohio and Michigan; the other, the Texan Shrew Mole (S. latimanus), which is still larger, and has the fore feet broader than in any other species, and the black hair longer, thinner, and slightly crisped, is a native of Mexico and Texas.

Two other Shrew Moles have been formed into a distinct genus (Scapanus) by M. Pomel. They resemble the preceding in general characters, but agree with the Star-nosed Mole in having forty-four teeth. These are Brewer’s Shrew Mole (Scapanus Brewerii), a black species, about six inches long, which inhabits the eastern United States, and is supposed to have given the foundation for the reports of the existence of the Common Mole in North America; and the Oregon Mole (Scapanus Townsendii), a considerably larger species, which is said to extend all along the Pacific coast, from California to 47° 10′ N. lat. In their habits these animals seem to agree closely with the Star-nosed Mole. The western species occurs abundantly in the banks of rivers.

Some very curious and interesting animals, placed with the Shrews by some zoologists, and with the Moles by others, may, perhaps, for our purpose, be best placed as a distinct family. The Desmans are, in fact, Shrew-like animals, with some important points of resemblance to the Moles. Thus, the teeth in the true Desmans are forty-four in number, and the large upper front incisor is pyramidal, and rather resembles that of some Moles than that of the Shrews; the general character of the skull is Mole-like, especially the presence of a slender zygomatic arch, which does not exist in the Shrews; the shoulder-blade is long, narrow, and strong, the collar-bone short and stout, and the front portion of the sternum is slightly keeled. Many other slight osteological peculiarities point to an alliance with the Moles; but on the other hand, Shrew-like characters are not wanting, and the general structure of the body and limbs is that of the Shrews, the tail being well developed, and the limbs all formed for walking. In the true Desmans the hind limbs are considerably larger than the fore-limbs, and all the feet are palmated, or have their toes united by webs.

The Desman in general form resembles a big Rat, but with a long snout formed by the nostrils, which are produced in a tubular form, and united in the middle, producing a regular trunk, provided with muscles which enable it to be turned in various directions, and employed as an organ of touch. The tail is compressed, scaly, and nearly naked.

In the arrangement of the teeth we see a considerable resemblance to the Shrew Moles. Thus, in the upper jaw we have the same gigantic front incisors, larger here than in any other species, and these are followed on each side by a series of seven teeth, gradually increasing in size, the first of which is an incisor, the second a canine, and the remaining five premolars. In the lower jaw, there are four projecting incisors, the outer much larger than the inner ones, as in the Shrew Moles, then, on eachside we have six gradually enlarging teeth, a canine, and five premolars. The true molars are three in number on each side in both jaws. They are broad, powerful teeth, with strong acute tubercles, and crowns divided transversely into two parts. The eyes are small, and there are no visible ears.

Another peculiarity of these animals is the presence, under the root of the tail, of a large gland, which secretes a substance of a strong musky odour, whence they are sometimes called Musk Shrews. This gland is composed of from twenty to forty lobes, each having a dilated upper part, and a narrow lower portion, and containing in their walls a great number of small secreting sacs.

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