The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-09-13
THE FEROCIOUS MOLE.
A Very Small Animal But a Great
Fighter.
1t Il Claimed by biologists That, Accord
ing to It's Size, This Underground
Worker Is the Most savage
of tho Ouadrupeds.

"What is the ficrceSt animal in the
world?" asked Washington Star writer
CT zoologist.
1.-THE mole" he replied. You are
surprised, but such, in my opinion, is
the fact. People ordinarily look upon
the mole as a sluggish and harmless
creature, spending it's life in cropping
blindly underground. AS usual the pop
ular idea is mistaken one. The mole
is in reality the most ferOcious and
most active of animals. Imagine it
magnified to the size of a tiger and you
would have a more terrible beast than
the world has yet seen. Though with
defective powers of vision and there
fore incapable of following its prey by
sight, it would he agile beyond cOncep-
ton, springing this way and that as it
went along, leaping with lightning
quicllness upon any creature which 1t
met, rending it to pieces in a moment,
dcvouring the yet warm and bleeding
flesh and instantly seeking. with hun
ger insatia BILE, for fresh victim. This
creature would, without hesitation, de-
vOur a serpent twenty feet in length,
and so tremendous would be its voraci-
ty that it would eat twenty or thirty
such snakes in the course of day.
With one grasp of its teeth and n single
clutch of its claws it could discmbowcl
an OK. and if it should happen 10 enter
a fold Of sheep or an jnclosurc of cattle
it would kill them all for the mere lust
of slaughter
''Let two such animals meet and how
terrific would be the battle. Fear is a
feeling which the mole seems never tC
entertain. In conflict with an adver
sary of its own kind its efforts arc eX
clusively directed to injuring its OPP
ponent, without regard for its own pro-
lection. An examination of the sl1el-
eton of a mole Will repay your trouble
SO wonderful Is -, adaptation of struc.
turc to its manner OF life. 1t looks
like a veritabc machine for digging
and it has several accessory bones which
are not found in any other living beast.
being discovered only in certain fossil
forms.
'''Fhc mole is gifted with incredible
activity. 1t p1rs'tes the earth worms or
which it cniaiiy feeds with an energy
one, it dcvOurs the prey like a starving
tiger, rendinr it with its powerful
claws and teeth. Occasionally it will
capture IL bird and tear il into frag
ments. devourin@ eagerly the bleeding
flesh. During The latter part of June
Mr.. Mole falls in love, and in his at
tachmentS he Is rs furious as in all Other
phases OF his nature. At that period he
cannot meet another male of his kind
without fighting. very often to the
death. He constructs Il bridal chamber
for his chosen spouse ut the intersection
OF two OF his tunnels, so that there is
more than one way of escape for her
self and the young ones in case danger
threatens. This chamber is partly
filled with dried grass for couch, anc
1T is always at some distance from Mr.
Mole's dwelling proper
The subtcrranean dwelling of Mr.
Mole is a wonderful labyrinth. Nc
human being could very well find his
way about in it, supposing that it's di
mansions We're sufficiently magnified to
admit his passage through the maze OF
tunnels. The latter compose a net
work as complicated as that of tb,
sewers of metropolis. 1t must not be
imagined that the animal burrows al
random. On the contrary, it works or
well-defined system, though how il
forms it's burrows in such admirably
straight lines, always laboring in the
hlackest darkness is a MYSTERY.
FISHING FOR TARANTULAS.
An Interesting Experience in the West.
ern Country.
The exciting recital of fishing for
three deadly tarantulas with bit OF
flannel and a spool of thread was tolo
recently to the Pittsburgh Dispatch.
The gentleman who told it had lust re.
turned from an extensive tour through
California and other states. He brought
back the creepy looking members of the
spider family.
II had several interesting expert.
ances," he said, but the most interest.
ing was the capture of these tarantu.
las. l had long wished to see them
In their native state. and being in the
land where their very presence renders
them dangerous. | constantly carried
spool of thread, bit of flannel and
bottle of chloroform. / was walking
IN an orange grove about ten miles from
the coast one afternoon. when I saw
one of the beautiful things just creep
ing from beneath q large log that was
half buried in the sandy soil. l Jumped
upon the log SO the insect could not
crawl up my leg. and then dropped my
10 I f1,n u
vlsedly of course, Immediately accepted
the challenge. and hastily caught the
hannel. l half lost my balance JUST
then, and jostled the leg to regain my
position. The happening came near be
ing serious for me, as two other mos.
Notwithstanding fellows rushed out
and all three attacked the flannel. and
before had the one entangled, started
upward at the most alarming rate O,
speed. In some manner or other I was
able to retain my presence of mind
and with my cane knocked the upper
most to the ground. The remaining
two were fighting most viciously, and
as gradually let out the thread they
became entangled, and by the time the
third was at the writhing little mas.
they were safe from working any harm.
The third made another attack, and :,
soon held a trio of sqairming, writing
tarantulas, and then, dropping them il
can, I saturated my handkerchie
with chloroform, and in half an hou
had these three, which are the fines
specimens of the insect have yet seen
ABOUT OURSELVES.
THE normal temperature Of human
body is 98 rs degrees.