BENEVOLENCE IN ANIMALS.
[To TEL EDITOR OY THE " SPECTATOR.'
SIR,—After reading the interesting article on "Benevolence in Animals" in the Spectator of October 15th, it occurs to me that an experience of mine may be of interest as showing the affection which animals sometimes have for each other. Some years ago I was in the gardens of Alton Towers one afternoon, and happening to look over the parapet of the dry moat which runs round part of the house, I saw a dead mole on the ground, and another one, alive, moving slowly along the grass, as if looking for something. As one does not often see a mole on the surface, I watched it, and saw it go up to the dead one, and " prod " it all round with its nose. Find- ing that this produced no effect on its dead friend—for friend it evidently was—it disappeared underground, and very soon returned with a small white root or bulb, which it carried to and put into ite friend's mouth. This having no effect in rousing the dead mole, the living one got very fussy, went round and round its dead friend, prodding him occasionally, as before, and when it found this of no avail, it began to scoop up the earth round it, and partly covered it, evidently with the intention of burying it ; but I did not see this done, for I was joined by a friend, who, seeing me intently watching some- thing, asked what I was looking at, and frightened the mole. The spell was broken; the live mole went to ground, and I
saw it no more.—I am, Sir, &c., C. W. F.
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