MOLE. The moles of America belong to the genus Scalops, and not to the true moles, Talpa, found in Europe. The ground mole, Sealops aguatieus, is found in the Eastern and Southern States. The Western mole, 8. argentea, being found in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Mis souri, and Kentucky, and in fact in the valley of the Mississippi nearly to the gulf, being always in dry land. The fore parts of this ani mal is strong and muscular, its fore hand-like paws, extending side ways, the more readily to enable it to make its way under ground, in exca its galleries, in search of its food, which is entirely insectivorous. They have been accused of atmg vegetable roots and tubers. This, however, is a mistake. It certainly often does much dam age to garden crops, by loosening the earth and uprooting plants in burrowing. The only ques tion for the farmer to decide, is whether the moles or insects do most mischief. We have seen lawns rendered unsightly by moles. So we have seen the grass entirely killed by the ravages of the larva, (white grub,) of the May beetle. A little labor will eradicate the burrows of the mole, but it is difficult to destroy the white grub, especially where they are so thick as to so entirely destroy the sod, that it may be rolled up like a carpet. It is undoubtedly true that shrew mice and other small rodents, follow in the tracks of moles, and eat corn, tubers and other vegetables, but there is no well authenticated evidence that the mole does so.
When moles become so numerous as to he severely destructive, they may be trapped by sinking pitfalls of tile or other material under their run-ways, or they may be caught under deadfalls. These should be placed under one of their regular galleries, leading to their place of rest if possible, since it is not always that they travel in the surface burrows. They may also he poisoned by placing strychnine in small pieces of meat and laid in their burrows. The Star nosed mole, condylura cristata, is another species, and quite rare, except in some portions of Central Illinois, where it is rather common. It inhabits all the Eastern and Northern States to the Mississippi, and is found even in Minne sota. It prefers rather moist soils, and is found in the vicinity of swamps. It does not burrow to such great length as the species previously described, and is not so strong. Its fore feet are longer and narrower than the common ground mole, and the tail is longer and larger. It may readily, be known by its ciliated nose, from whence its name.