New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-14
,TTERIIRALLIFE OF ENGLAND
BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID.
VII

Among the qualntest OF Enehsu iui"'
I'll at of ole-catchine which by certain ihu'
q. to,lowed as a regular calling Every neighbor-
hood where nloes abound has its professional Mole
Catcher. though there are districts in which these
.emi-subterranean Quadrupeds not so plentiful
nc IN need thinning Oft tracts of country where the
soil from its geological character, is too poor 10
oroduce q thick crop of earthworms-the moles
orthodox diet To the fauna of Ireland the mole Is
altogether wanting, for what reason naturalis's
have never been able TO determine. Whether, ike
The snakes, il was communicated by ST. fatricA'
history does not record but If so, the SAINT ue
serves credit for Kidding the Emerald Isle OF peS'
noxious as the reptiles themselves, II not 80 u"n-
gerous may say however. that about this 'noio
is difference Of opinion, many people looAnS "po.
the mole as more profit than pest lheso arc no.
farmers, though instead. newspaper "i'.i "
the closet naturalist kind and every now ana 'neh
- aiso,ss;on on this subject with volum,nous
,orrssnondence in which the farmer is ridicued LOT
his ;cnorance and accused of ingratitude In waging
MAR AGAINST Talpa, his benefactor According 10
these theorists, the mole eats the wire-worin'
Flates Iineatus and destroys large quantities OF
these insect larve that would otherwise do much
injury to the young wheat plant ana all soi's VI
growing produce In the pursuit OF naturai his
tory have taken pains to ascertain the truth aoou'
this matter; and after repeated experiments am
able 10 affirm that the farmer is In the rieu' anu
,,bose who cast rdicule on him in the wrong The
mole does not aud will not eat wire-"orihs; inc
common ground worm, Lumbricus terrestIis' being
its natural food and believe, sole sustenance OF
nearly So
Another slight depression from the chief purpose
of tins article may be necessary, TO say that the
mole of England, Talpa Europea, is specifically
different from any of the species indigenous TO
America: and hair-splittng naturasts even make
IL distinct IN genus. 1t is. however, SO eloSeN
allied 10 the common mole of the States l. VIZ
giniano in sze appearance, ways, habits ana every
thing that the reader may look upon them as
essentially the same.
The greatest damage done by the English mole is
to grass both that OF pasture lands anu meadows
kent for hay In tunnelling after worms as is well
known. il here and there throws up heaps OF loose
earth. of conical or hemspherical shape" MOLE
hills" so-called-some of which have measured
and found to be over two feet in horizontal diam
eter. the upheaved earth filing bushel basket
Such are of exceptional size, but in any case,
where the mole is left to moot" at Will, these eX-
crescences will soon show so thick over the ground
as to render a considerable portion of the grass
unavailable for pasturage; and if meadow land
for hay there will not only be shorter crop, but
n more frequent sharpening of the scythe, causing
extra trouble to the mowers. scattering" these
heaps by spade bush harrow or chain-harrow is the
usual remedy; VIII ich to be efectualy applied
needs now and then repeating Some farmers
however deem prevention better than cure hence
the calling Of Mole-Catcher.
This individual is generally, indeed almost uni
versally, a man past the prime of life, and often
aged tor undertaking is an industry which tasks
neither bodily strength nor activity. Still it has
its requirements these being familiarity with the
turing it, Dogs are not available for this purpose,
nor digging since neither dog nor digger can open
the ground after mole as fast as it can burrow
before them, The gun or other weapon is equally
useless for such a. chase; moles rarely coming to
the surface save during the nights darkness. One
may live in district where these animals abound
almost for a lifetime and yet never see 1--we MOLE
Plenty of dead ones, true; but these have all beeh
killed underground-in a trap The mode OF cap
ture is as follows 7dlparius seeing some 3" hills
that have been recently thrown up, the WORK OF
the preceding night, knows there is a subterranean
tunnel between them, the run" Choosing one OF
the freshest he brushes aside the loose earth to
find hole underneath; the oriice of vertical
shaft through which the mould has been cast up.
This communicates with the horizontal gallery some
two or three inches below the surface; the oritce
itself which is circular, being scarce two inches
in diameter. Enlarging it little, the mole
catcher inserts his trap; an article OF lron-ware
with double grippers on hinges like pair Of nut
crackers and worked by steel spring. When SET
q thin plate of iron holds them apart, this being
placed vertically to close up the horizontal passage
like door. Then all is carefully covered over
with the earth so to exclude the light for il the
mole sees light-and these animals see perfectly,
notwithstanding the notion of their being Blind
II knows things are not as it left them, and will shy
the trap even coming out upon the surface, and so
pass ng it. If unsuspiciOus. however in Its ram
bngs along the run" it will jab IFS snout against
the obstructing plate spring the trigger, and get
caught bel the grippers losing its life ON the
instant.
For the sake of cheapness, the traps are made OF
common cast-iron, all the springs; since the
professional mole catcher needs goodly number of
them The price is sixpence each, though III past
times they cost much more, and then Td'pdrias en-
ployed a wooden trap OF his own construction the
we'll known sort having for spring power the re-
bound of a bent saplng. Some of these still in
use: and II is no uncommon sight while passing
along the roads to see in field meadow adjacent
the little slate. coored quadrnped hoisted high IN
air and swinging at the extremity OF bow-lke
rod.
There is still another mode of taking Tdlpa-the
box trap which is square or oblong box sunk INTO
the earth, across the rum the ground having been
followed ont for it. piece of board arranged on
balance hinges inside the box and on level with
the bottom of the rum carries the passage over as
by a bridge. Rather should say, seems to do so;
for when the mole attempting it, reaches certain
point its weight sends the swing bridge dow II, and
it is itself precptated to the bottom of the box,
out of which it cannot climb. This elaborate struc-
ture is only used in the main runs not those
temporarily traversed In pursuit OF worms-where
many moles are expected to come along and tumble
into 1t. And often many do; the box sometimes
when left long unvisited being found nearly full
Generally too, most of them dead, and partially