£hort-tailed Shrew 



eating and drinking the projecting taper-like nose or trunk was 

 turned up in order to enable him to use his mouth more freely, 

 for a shrew's mouth opens from beneath almost like that of a 

 shark. The sensitive trunk is doubtless of service in poking 

 about beneath the leaves and in soft earth after worms, of which 

 the mole shrew is particularly fond. 



Many of them take up their winter quarters in cellars where 

 they forage around in dusky corners for worms and insects, or 

 help themselves to whatever meat is left within their reach. 

 Their holes are dug into the surrounding soil and are probably 

 being multiplied and extended throughout the winter in search 

 of worms. 



There is no increasing pile of dirt at the entrance to indi- 

 cate the little miner's progress, however. Like a true mole, he 

 disposes of the loose earth by pressing it aside as he goes 

 along, making a clear passage with smooth, compact walls. 



None of the shrews appear to hibernate, and whether the 

 mole shrew ever passes the entire winter burrowing about in the 

 ground beneath the frost, or not, is hard to determine. The genuine 

 moles are believed to occupy themselves in this manner all winter 

 long and, of course, it is quite possible that the mole shrew 

 may do likewise, but I have my doubts about it. 



At all events, numbers of them are out on the surface of 

 the snow, even in the very coldest weather, when the ground 

 beneath is like stone. Part of their food at such times is ob- 

 tained by gleaning after the owls and foxes and other hunters 

 of the woodland. If they depended on this alone most of them 

 would starve long before spring, as even in warm weather they 

 require food oftener than almost any other creature of their size, 

 and though insects in small numbers are always to be found on 

 the snow, these would hardly suffice to appease a mole-shrew's 

 hunger. I believe that they get the greater part of their food at this 

 season by burrowing about among the dead leaves beneath the 

 snow in the forests, gathering the dormant insects that habitu- 

 ally pass the winter in such places. 



"The disagreeable, musky smell which they emit when frightened 

 or angry serves to protect them from many of the marauders 

 of the forest, but not from all. Owls of all kinds appear to be 

 well pleased with their flavours, and catch and devour them in 

 lar^e numbers. 



i8a 



