126 WATER SHREW. Class I. 



of the body, is of a brownifh dufky red : the belly 

 of a dirty white: the tail is covered with fliort 

 dufky hairs 4 the legs are very fhort : the hind legs 

 placed very far back : the feet arc divided into five 

 toes. 



Above and below are two flender cutting teeth 

 pointing forward, and on each a minute procefs : 

 the reft of the teeth are lb clofely united, as to 

 appear a continued ferrated bone in every jaw^ 

 |:he whole number is twenty eight. 



The Ibrew inhabits old walls, heaps of (lones, 

 and holes in the earth : is frequently found near 

 hayricks, dunghills, and neceflary houfes : is often 

 obferved rooting like a fvvine in ordure : it lives on 

 corn, infccls, and any fikh : from its food or the 

 places it frequents, has a difagreeable fmell : cats 

 will kill but not eat it : brings four or five young 

 at a time. In Auguji is an annual mortality of 

 them, numbers being in that feafon found dead 

 in the paths. The antients believed them to be 

 injurious to cattle, an error nov/ deteded. 



33. Wat e r. Musaraneus doiTo nigro ven- La Mufaraigne d'Eau, deBuffon. 

 trequealbo. Merret Pinnx^ viii. 64. 



167. Water Shrew, Syn. quad. No, 

 Sorex fodiens, Pallas ined. 256. 



T 



H I S fpecies inhabits the banks of ditches, 

 and other wet fituations, and is in fome 



places 



