Mole is tlic rondering in the Auth. Vers, of the Heb. T'Cwiri, tiiishe'meth, in Lev. xi, 30, where, how- ever, it probably signifies some species of the lizard tribe; but in Lev. xi, 18; Deut. xiv, 16, it is rendered "swan," where it evidenlly refers to some kind of bird. It thus appears to denote two very different kinds of animal, but in neither case tlie mole. See CuAsiicr.KON ; Swan. The mole is thought to be represented by the Heb. "iVn, cho'led, rendered '•weasel" in Lev. xi, 29. This is an animal very aljundant in Palestine. See Weasel. Tlic word elsewhere occurs only in the dif- ficult expression, Isa. ii, 20, rii~B "Ens, lachphor' pe- roih' (if regardeil as two words, perhaps, to the hole of the rats or burrowcrs, Sept. rolt," //orniod.-, Vulg. talpas, Auth. Vers. " to the moles"), wJiich (lesenius {Com- ment, ad loc.) thinks should be pointed as one word, mQ"lSHb, lachapharperoth'., indicating an animal, n"iE"iSH, chapharperah' , so called from digging into
the walls of houses, probably the rat, a creature com- mon in every habitable part of the world.
Many scholars " consider the aanaXa'i of the Greeks to be the creature intended by at least the first of the above Hebrew words. ^Vhether this \sa3 what modern zoologists would call a mole is, however, rather doubtful. Aristotle, in his history of the aspalur, evidently derived from personal and careful examination, describes it as absolutely blind. Now the eyes of our common mole (Talpa Juiropo'a), though they arc very minute, and so imbedded in the fur as to be readily overlooked by a cur- sory examiner, are distinctly open, and could not escape
' the detection of so accurate a |)hysiologist as Aristotle. Hence it has been supposed that the a.yialax could not have been a Talpa ; and another animal lias been found to inhabit the east of Europe and west of Asia, which,
j while possessing much of the form, and even the pecul-
j iar structure of the moles, together with their burrow- ing powers, is absolutely and totally void of sight, the
I eyes, which are rudimentary specks, being completely covered by the skin of the face, which is quite imper- forate. For a while it seemed certain that this was the creature intended ; and accordingly the genus was tech- nically named Aspalax by Olivier, the species receiv- ing the appellation of ti/phlus. But still more recently a species of true mole, now called Talpa cteca, has been
I discovered inhabiting Greece, in which the eyes are as minute, and as useless, because as completely covered
j by the skin, as in the a.yxdar. As the aspalax is larger and more conspicuous than the blind talpa, which, moreover, appears to be rare, on the assumption that the former is the tinshemeth we here devote a few words to its apijearance and habits. It belongs to the family Muridai among the Rodents, and is in fact a rat under the guise of a mole. Hence it has been called the mole-rat. The animal is from eight inches to a foot in length, with a great round head, no external ears or eyes, the nostrils opening beneath, the limbs very short, with strong nails formed for digging; the body clothed with a short, thick, soft fur of an ashy hue, and the naked skin of the muzzle white. It is particularly abundant in the south of Russia, excavating the surface of the vast steppes or level plains, and forming long burrows beneath the turf, with many lateral ramifications. The object of its pursuit is not earthworms or subterraneous larva;,. which form the prey of the true mole; for the mole-rat is exclusively a vegetable feeder, and it drives
ti/plilus.
its runs solely for bulbs and roots, especially for tho flesliy root of an umbelliferous ))lant, the charophyllum. At frequent intervals the burrow comes to the surface of the soil, and here hillocks are cast up a couple of yards in circumference, and of proportionate height. Altogether its work closely imitates that of the mole, but on a somewhat larger scale. It is said to work en- ergetically and rapidly, and on the approach of an en- cmj", of which it is warned probably by an acute sense of smell, it instantly turns downward and penetrates the earth perpcndicidarly. It is said to devour corn,
MOLE
437
MOLECH
and to gather large quantities, which it lays up in its deeper galleries for winter supply, in this respect agree- ing with many other of the Murida. Like the mole, it can proceed forward or backward in its burrow with equal celerity. During the early hours of the day a ipair may often be seen near the entrance of a hole, basking in the sun, but instantly disappearing on alarm. The least noise excites it ; though it cannot see, it lifts its head to listen, in a menacing attitude, and if its re- treat is cut off, it becomes animated with rage and feroc- ity, snorting and gnashing its teeth, and biting severely, yet uttering no cry, even when wounded. The super- stitious peasants of the Ukraine believe that miraculous healing powers are communicated to the hand which has suffocated one of these creatures. The specimens which have been brought from Syria are smaller, and may possibly possess specilic distinctness. Hasselquist testifies to their abundance on the plains of Sharon. He had never seen any ground so cast up by moles as in the region between Kamah and Jaffii, The mole- hills were scarcely a yard apart {Trav. p. 120).