List of the Fauna of the County. 163
object to its burrowing and casting up mounds in their
pastures and newly-sown fields. I am not aware of any
other mischief done by this creature in Essex, except, it may
be, that it disarranges and blocks up the land-drains by
burrowing under them. In other parts no doubt considerable
mischief has arisen by this industrious little miner boring
through embankments made to keep out water, necessitating
every means being taken to keep down its numbers. The
hillock which covers the nest of the mole is generally made
in a hedge or wood, but sometimes in the open field; it may
usually be known by its size being so much greater than the
ordinary "mole-hill." The young are from three to six in
number, and are produced in the spring; they are born
naked, but grow very rapidly. When young they are able to
fast a considerable time; I have bad some brought me alive
that were taken out of the nest the day before, and of course
bad been without food for many hours, a privation which
would have been speedily fatal bad they been full-grown. I
have purchased of one mole-catcher (who works in company
with bis brother) in one season fifteen hundred fresh skins;
and this will give some idea of the enormous number destroyed
by an able man. There is in this district a family of mole-
catchers, the greatest masters of their art I have ever known :
at any time they will produce living specimens on having a
few hour's notice. Their name is "Watch'em" (watch them),
a nick-name no doubt given them in consequence of their
trade. They are hereditary mole-catchers, the family having
followed this trade for more than 150 years.
Insectivora. Soricidae.
Sorex vulgaris. Common Shrew.—The colour of this
animal varies very much, hardly two specimens being of exactly
the same shade. It occurs commonly in all parts of the
county, but is more frequently heard than seen : like all the
rest of the family it is very pugnacious, rarely two meeting
without a fight resulting, and their shrill war shrieks are
often audible in hedge or coppice as evidence of these
encounters,