Year: 1875

mological Society, DR.. Edward Dorsch, in the
course of an interesting address, remarked


Many of our farmers feel great satisfaction
if the spade kills harmless mole, whose only
crime is the little hill of earth he raises in our
meadows when he goes upon his hunting ex'
peditions, and which can be Aattened again
by the foot of the farmer before it hinders
the motion of the scythe or moving machine.


Nature has given US the mole as never
tiring destroyer of all kinds of fruit-worms,
Larvae and other vermin which live on the
roots of our grass and grain-bearing plants
and fruit trees, and at place where we can.
not follow them. Nature has given him such
tremendous appetite that he dies if he has
nothing to eat for six hours, and his only food
is meat, as far as insects and worms furnish
it,


Hundreds of moles have been dissected
and their stomachs examined, but not the least
vegetable fibre was ever found except it was
brought to it by devoured insects. Expert
ments have shown that in case of want the
mole eats up its kind and own family rather
than touch any vegetable. know very we'll
that the eyes Of the lady fill with tears if she
finds, during her morning walk, few of her
pet plants almost dying on account Of the
burrowing of criminal mole, which selects
her rare buds as its hunting grounds and
throws up his hill next to her best geranium
or heliotrope.


But if the fair lady would reason a little,
she would tender the gray culprit hearty
forgiveness and thank him for the extinction
of the restless enemies who feed upon the
roots of her cherished plants, and she would
press down the earth again and water the in
iured flowers, which will afterward grow 80
much better because the ground has been
loosened.


Prices were paid in former times by stupid
communities in the old country, for every
mole caught. Men have spent time and
money in catching this benefactor Of mankind
only to find themselves punished for their ig.
norance by being over-run with bugs and
beetles, crickets and caterpillars. Neverthe
less our boys are still permitted to torment
and kill these inoffensive but much slandered
vermin hunters.


But the time will come when his virtues
will be recognized, as it has already arrived
for the toad, for which the English gardeners
pay four shillngs piece with pleasure now,
to set them as guards, in their salad beds.
against snails and bugs, after having found
out the good service they accomplish.


What horrid tales has superstition not told
about this harmless Batrachian | Its bite is
poisonous it has been said. Who was ever
bitten by a toad? Its jaws have no teeth
no sharp horny edges like the turtle. But,
says an old wiseacre-who may be saw it in
school book of 1701-if it can't bite, its
saliva and the juice oozing from the warts on
its back are poisonous. Natural science Of
to-day denies it. The toad has as little saliva
as the frog-hardly enough to keep its tongue
moistened, which is always sticky and clam
nv, to glue on the insects it catches, and the
slime oozing from its warts cause perhaps a
reddening Of the skin, but will poison nobody.


When the cool evening draws the dark
cloak of night over the face Of the earth the
toad emerges from his moist resting place and
he begins to look for snails, flies and bugs.
Slowly it creeps forward, and narrow is the
region of its hunting ground, but it goes over
it systematically, thoroughly knowing the
hiding places of spider and slug as worthy
member of the order of St. Hubertus.