MOLE

The mole is the oddest of Fur bearing animals. Many believe he has been deprived of eyes and ears, but zoologists tell us he has both. His tiny, bead-like eyes are concealed in his Fur, and appear and disappear at will. Thus nature protects this little fellow who spends most of his time digging tunnels. His shovel like claws can penetrate the hardest ground and entire colonies of moles have been known to excavate a series of tunnels with main arteries and intersections that are a real engineering feat. His underground activities however have placed the mole in disrepute in many countries. The adoption of mole as an aristocratic Fur was sponsored by Queen Alexandria of England who had a coat made of mole skin hoping that her example would start a vogue which would relieve Scottish farmers of a pest that threatened to overrun the country. The scheme worked beautifully. The mole became fashion’s pet, its soft velvety coat redeeming its miserable habits. The mole lives on grubs and worms and is the smallest animal that gives us Fur. Mole can never be cheap. It requires from four to seven hundred skins to make a wrap. Each tiny pelt must go through from a six to a great many handlings, and the life of their beauty is brief unless carefully handled. One should seek best grade mole from Scotland, Belgium, Holland or Denmark. These skins will serve very much better than those of domestic origin.

Mating season is like a declaration of war in the mole colony, for there are always more males than females. The fight between two males over a mate is always one to death - the victor claiming his bride.