New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-30

A LECTURE ~ TIE REV. J. u. WOOD.
The Rev. J. G. Wood dcliycrcdlast evening, at
Coor Institute the second OF ll- series OF lectures upon
Natural History The vast ha!l was thToc;olI,h' fun
The lecture was and the audience was deeply To-
tcroso4 frequently app,audlEg the speaker HIS subject
WA the Mole. lie said o. part: Il placed
ia damp dark suDlerrsuc prison, De would not ike &
q BIT but would make the best Of Ills way, a.
quickly as he could, 10 thc ar the hgAt
AMI the warmth OF tAo upper word. Mpi's
DO Tot a-,foo at all with human JelI-s. but prefer
coldAes. moisture kucs,. 1uo mole Is Uurrowcr
ana IN the natural pursuit. Of his voraiuudoyourng the
pupe Of catcr!er~ aud also ground woTs-lci Is com
paled 70 throw up little mounds Of fresh earth
which are called mole ui., Farmer, strongly object 20
them on this ground because mole Ll- look uAti0y.
Then they lurking prejudice that they also do
damage % the crops wAlc hccause the mole
Il strictly lnsectyorous and cuuyorOu, aud utterly dis
dams cereals or roots lie Is really pru.iao,or be-
cause ho supplies the farmer with top dressing OF un-
exhausted earth.
Al burrowers must be cylindrical aud pointed at the
foremost end, and tHat IS tie shape Of The mole lie II
intermediate In size between mouse and rat and his
anatomy mgly interesting from tho manner n which
all the muscular power goe- the forearm. which does
the bmrowing. and the spldeke hand. with the long
claws. Anatom!vts al time were greatly puzzled by
what appeared 20 be "a sixth finger which would have
been terrible anomaly. Fortunately IL Wa. dl-noy-
cred 10 be not finger, but Tudid s',ahod,
meIous Instances, Tor example, the kucecap
II for The purpose o. extending the forug power OF
the mOles hand. when honest urrcg'ur.J come, 10
bit Of hard ground hc rst Ou-.us % win the FORK ana
then sAOycs The mole does precisely thr same Whom
he opens hl- urTt MD" nrchu be docs The tuIAg
business when he closes them tUupacy. hr sAota.-.
have seen AZ al agricultural far very digging
machine, but upon examining found 70 90 Doe only the
molc's hands multiplied ana -rt on wheels.
The mole has eyes bat he does uOtusH them very much.
Shakespeare speaks repeatedly Oi tho blind mole bU the
sweet bard OF Avon Incorrect The mole is not blind,
but h., eyes exceedingly ANAL IL any person
wants 10 md out this lOr himself De must hssi
hold his mole, which Il JOKE, for they
bite Ike lcuds and scratch with their fOrupdWs Ike Wild
cats Then by blowing away the fur, small black Icck
APPEAR which the eye But the best way h g. pal he
IOle In water. when tie eye Immediately dppeag- show
ing that has the power OF projecting The beyond
the fur. The same pTOvrTbtl wisdom that made the
mole blind gives IL credit scAss OF nearing sing
larry delicate yet tins fact l. that the are not
specially acute The dcioaGy Of hearing due 10 the
singular n which The earth carries sounds,
circumstance well known to hunters and military men.
OF smell Is the prccmincnt quality IN THIS
creature. and upon which he depends chiefly 10 procure
food MOlcs hcry 70 the st degree and quarrr7O
Whenever meet they night ana the Yauquogd Is Do
yOuTcd by TIC victor"