220 Some Account of the Water-Shrew, 



be a Dyticus marginalis, or some very large beetle, dart with 

 rapid motion, and suddenly disappear. Laying myself down 

 cautiously and motionless on the grass, I soon, to my delight and 

 wonder, observed it was a mouse. I repeatedly marked it glide 

 from the bank, under water, and bury itself in the mass of 

 leaves at the bottom : I mean the leaves that had fallen off the 

 trees in autumn, and which lay very thick over the mud. It 

 very shortly returned, and entered the bank, occasionally put- 

 ting its long sharp nose out of the water, and paddling close 

 to the edge. This it repeated at very frequent intervals, from 

 place to place, seldom going more than two yards from the side, 

 and always returning in about half a minute. I presume it sought 

 and obtained some insect or food among the rubbish and leaves, 

 and retired to consume it. Sometimes it would run a little on 

 the surface, and sometimes timidly and hastily come ashore, 

 but with the greatest caution, and instantly plunge in again. 

 During the whole sweet spring of that fine year, I constantly 

 visited my new acquaintance. When under water he looks 

 grey, on account of the pearly cluster of minute air-bubbles 

 that adhere to his fur, and bespangle him all over. His colour, 

 however, is very dark brown, not quite so black as that of the 

 mole, over the head and upper part of the body : the belly 

 and throat are of the purest silvery white, with a dark spot 

 under the tail : the ears are white at the edges, and very 

 conspicuous ; not from their prominence, being almost buried 

 in the fur, but from contrast of colour. The nose is long and 

 sharp, but broader at the end than that of the land-shrew 

 {Shrex «raneus) ; and the pretty little creature is broader and 

 longer, of the utmost cleanliness and beauty, when afloat ap- 

 pearing almost flat. Length about 3 in. ; tail not quite 2 in. ; 

 eyes very small ; the claws fringed with very fine bristles. This 

 minute description I am enabled to give, having, at the sug- 

 gestion of my friend, John Clavering Wood, Esq., a most able 

 and ardent naturalist, caught it in an angler's landing-net, and 

 carefully inspected it in a white chamber-basin of water. The 

 poor creature was extremely uneasy under inspection ; and we 

 soon, with great pleasure, restored it to liberty and love : for 

 he had a companion, whom, from her paler colour and more 

 slender form, we doubted not was his mate ; and were fearful, 

 by our intrusion, of giving offence to either. 



He swims very rapidly ; and, though he appears to dart, his 

 very nimble wriggle is clearly discernible. He is never seen 

 till near sunset, but I saw him, every evening I watched, with 

 the most perfect facility. They are easily discovered about 

 the going down of the sun, on still evenings, by the undulating 

 semicircles quickly receding from the bank of the pool, when 



