Anatomy of the European Mole

The mole's brain is extraordinary in the size of its nerves, especially the olfactory nerves and the fifth pair. (1)

It has been commonly believed from the most ancient times up to our own age that the mole is destitute of sight, either because men had neglected to observe the matter diligently, or because they supposed that the animal, hidden in the darkness of the earth, did not need eyes, and were thus led into this error. Galen was the first to describe the eyes of the mole. (2)

1) Soemmerring, a most illustrious man, was kind enough to share these thoughts with me regarding the mole's brain: "This brain is very important because it obviously refutes the false opinion of Gall, that the size of the optic nerves stands in direct proportion to the size of the anterior corpora quadrigemina, not the optic thalami. I showed Gall himself in nature that, for example, in the dog or the cat, with absolutely smaller anterior corpora quadrigemina, the optic nerve is larger than in the hare or rabbit."