27 MAY 1905, Page 15

[To THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.") Sin,—As bearing on your

interesting article on the above subject in last week's Spectator, it may not be generally known that a slight tap with the finger on the end of the nose of the mole kills it at once. I once had ocular demonstration of this by a mole-catcher, and it was most remarkable. Here the tap on a highly specialised organ causes a reflex shook through the highly sensitive nerves of touch and scent to the brain centre that presides over the heart, which at once causes paralysis of that organ. The mole, unlike the pig, does not use his nose for rooting in the ground, but forces his way on entirely by means of his adaptive legs and feet, which scrape the soil to either side.—I am, Sir, &c., The Close, Norwich. FREDERICK LONG.