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Show 90 MAMMALIA. there is no conch to the ear, and the eye is not percepti· ble.( 1) TALPA, Lin. No one is ignorant of this curious animal, the Mole, whose form 80 perfectly qualifies it for a subterraneous mode of life. A very short arm attached to a long scapula, supported by a powerful clavicle and furnished with enormous muscles, sustains an extremely large hand, the palm of which is always directed either outwards or backwards; the lower edge of this hand is trenchant, the fingers are scarcely perceptible, but the nails in which they terminate are long, flat, strong and sharp. Such is the instrument employed by the Mole to tear the earth and throw it behind it. Its sternum, like that of Birds and Bats, has a process which gives to the pectoral muscles the size that is required for their functions. To pierce and raise up the earth, it makes use of its long pointed head, whose muz. zle is armed at its extremity with a peculiar little bone, and whose muscles are extremely powerful. There is even an additional bone in the cervical ligament. It has but little power behind, and moves as slowly above ground as it advances rapidly under it. Its sense of hearing is very acute, and the tympanum very large, although there is no external ear ; its eyes are so small and so hidden by the hair, that for a long time their existence was positively denied. In the genital organs there is this peculiarity-the bones of the pubis are not united, a circumstance which permits it to produce tolerably large young ones, notwithstanding the narrowness of the pelvis. The urethra of the female passes through the clitoris. She has six teats. The jaws are weak, and the food consists of Worms, Insects, and some soft roots. There are six incisors above and eight below. The canini have two roots, which causes them to partake of the na· ture of false molats ; back of them are four false molars above and three below, after which are three bristled molars. T. europ;x;a, L.; Buff. VIII, xiii. (The Common Mole.) Pointed muzzle; hair soft and black; individuals are found white, fawn coloured and piebald-a vexatious animal in culti· vated grounds. This species, according to Dr Harlan, is also found in Norili America. ( 2) (1) The Red Mole of .IJ.merica, Seba, I, pl. xxxii, f. 1, (Talpa rubra, Lin.J~ most probably a Chryso asiaticus, drawn from a dried specimen of that spect~ for ~hen the hair appears purple; the tucan ofFernandez, App. XXIV, "bich.~ considered as synonymous with it, from its two long teeth in each jaw and ttl vegetable diet, appears to be a Spalax. · (2) A mistake : the europa:a is not found here. .!lm. Ed. CARNARIA. 91 M. Sa.v i has found a Mole(l) in the A ppennm. es t 11 at 1. s pet·- fectly bh.n d, although otherwise similar t o th e common one· he calls It Talpa cceca. ' CONDYLURA, Illig. In the animals belonging to this genus the tw k' d f d · · • • ' 0 m s o enhhon pecuhar to the In. sectlvora seem to be combined• I n t 11 e upper J· aw are two large tr1ang. ular incisors ' two extremely s rna 11 an d s1 e nder o. ne.s , and on .e ach s1de a strong canine• In the lo wer one are 11' our mctso. rs slantmg forwards, and a pointed but s rna 11 canm• e. T he superior false mo~ars are triangular and separated, the inferior trenchant and denticulated. In th~ir f~et. and the whole of their exterior they resemble the Mole, bu~ their tai11s longer, and what more puticularly serves to disting~ tsh .them from the former, is, that their nostrils are surrounded With httle movable cartilaginous points which when they ra dt.a t e l1'k e a km· d of star. ' ' separate ' .one species particularly is found in North America-Sorex cnatatus, L.(2) (The Radiated Mole.) Similar to the Mole of Europe, the nose excepted, but having a tail more than double the length of that of the latter. ScALOPs, Cuv. oTre ett h very simil ar t o th ose of the Desmans, except that the smaJI 1'k a!se molars are less numerous; the muzzle is simply pointed 1 .~\.at of the Shrew; their hands are widened, armed with str·on~ ~~t t.ted to excavate the earth, and exactly similar to those of s:a~s: In fact tl?eir mode ~f life is the same; their eyes are equaJly as k ' ~nd the1r ears quite as much hidden. The only nown 15 the species 8. aquaticus; Sorex aquaticus, L.; Schreb. CLVIII. It ap-pears to inhabit a great part of North America, along rivers, in (thI) It is not pe~·J~'e etlY blm' d ; t h e eye· I1'd s have an openm· g, though smaller than e common one. 1'he existence f th . . think I can d o e ~ptic nerve m the common Mole has been denied. I (2 ) • . emonstrate 1t throughout its entire course. from thT hfiis IS the CoN DYLURA of Ill'J ger, b ut the characters he indicates taken composeed tghu re of L a F at· n e, copt·e d Buff. Supp. VI, xxxvi, l, and on wh' ich he rectly d 'be name of the genus, are false. M. Desmarets was the first who corDr escrt ed the teeth of this animal. about Htha rlan de.s cribes asp eci·e s, co n d· macroura, wht•e h has but very short points apecies eth n oTsttr tl:l s ' and •a sea1 Y compresse d tal.l . He assoc.i ates with it as n third not to h' e a'fJ. long~caudata, Penn, Hist., No. 4·43, which he appears however ave seen. |
