Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-07-04
THE MOLE.
The MULE.
Copyright, t9m. by Ernest Harold
Peynes)

the mole IL tho most provoking Jus, as Il
certain bed Of choice seeds has been work
! ell into perfect condition, the mole, which
| may not have been near tho garden fer a
month, comes back as though by special
appointment ana ploughs that bed from
end to ond Back and forth he works,
| through tho loose sell, close to the surface.
! heaving up a. little ridge of earth where
Yer he goes. He rapidly destroys the bed,
through that is not at all mis- object in
| coming lie Is really out on "A hunting eX-
petition; he is hunting for earth worms
slugs, grubs and insects, which live In the
! ground and on which he depends for food.
! When he bas finished his meal, he leaves
the bed. and pushes through the turf of
the lawn until he reaches the garden walk,
I perhaps. Tbs proves little too hard Cor
him TO plough through. 50 he comes out
/ into the open. runs AT quite a fair speed
/ across the walk End then burrows into tho
/ turf again on the opposite side.
| He probably does this at night ana next
day the seeds which he turned up during
his hunt through the bed, will die. If tho
| sun Is hot they will Re baked In the loos-
ened earth. or. IL it rains. they will proba =
lily be washed away. When the gardener
| discovers the damage he will stride about
the lawn. stamping in the loose turf with
| his reel and we can hardly blame him II.
under his breath, he says some very un-
pleasant things about the mole. Then he
VIII pTOt ABLY set q mole trap IN the nope
that his little enemy will come that way
| agoin. And there lie may have another
disappointment, for the mole is quite as
| apt to stay away until nice line Of young
peas or carrots has begun to show above
the ground. Then. some night after a
shower of rain has softened the soil he
\ will suddenly return, uproot the line from
! one end to the ether, and disappear as be-
fore.
But If, as sometimes happens, he returns
along one of his old tunnels, re viii, pro-
baby meet his death. At one point along
the route be Ends the roof Of the burrow
I crushed down somewhat and he has to
give an extra heave to force his body
through. That heave presses on the plat
form Of mole-trap and releases a mum
bei Of sharp pointed iron prongs, which,
driven by powerful spring behind them,
PASS through the body Of the mole.
Wien the gardener comes along and lifts
from the soil the limp BODY around witch
the ants have already gathered. it will be
seen what a curious little creature the
ro!e Is. From the tip Of his nose tn the
root Of his TAIL he measures something
lofs than six inches, and bis total length
Is Increased by rather short straight tail,
srorsely covered with short hair His
body is covered with n beautiful soft lus-
trous fur, which may lcok any ono Of a
number OF colcrs, according to the light in
which you see it. In one light 1t will APP
pear dark brown, and in others. and ger
haps the most astonishing thing about It is
the fact that an animal living In he soil
should be able to keep his coat so bonuti-
fully clean and bright. In front, the hody
terminates in a naked cartllaginous snout
on the upper surface OF which. close togot-
her are two oblong nostrils This snout Is
very feXible-so much so. In fact. that tho
animal sometimes twists in round and puts
1t into his outh. from which he after
wards withdra VS. II with a pop" reaemb-
ling the sound which might be made in
drawing n miniature cork. I don't know
why he does this. unless IT be to wipe tha
soil of his nose. When his mouth is opeu-
ed, 1t will be seen that Il Is full of Mttlo
teeth of several sizes and shapes. and shat
1t somewhat resembles the mouth of a
diminutive pig
AT the first glance. one would say that
he had neither eyes nor ears hut buried in
the fur are two !ittle shining black dots
which are Doubtless hig enough for any
thing he ever iequres to see, and about
three-quarters Of an inch behind them are
two very small round holes which lead to
his ears. His fore arms are hidden by the
skin; his curious semt-human hands
alone being visible. The fingers are unit
ed, forming broad, leathcry palms which
IN life are flesh colored. They are armed
with large. slightly-curvcd mails and ara
excellent tools for digging with. The mind
feet are small and slender. naked on the
under surface, and clothed with fine short
hair on the upper surface.
When the mole wishes to enter the
ground, he brings the backs OF his nat
hands together in front Of his nose. and.
digging them intb the earth makes
stroke Just as a man docs when he is swim
ming. He repeats tho stroke again and
again, until he Is soon out Of sight below
the surface. AS he goes through the earth,