DWARF SHREW 31 



only representatives of the latter are found in South 

 Africa. 



Genus CROCIDURA. 



The members of this genus are usually of small size, 

 with pointed snout-like muzzles possessing swollen sides, 

 which are caused by the roots of the '^ whiskers." The 

 tail is tapering, and besides the clothing of short bristle- 

 like hair, it possesses a number of scattered long whitish 

 hairs. The mammae are six in number, and are inguinal. 

 There is no canine tooth in the lower jaw, and only one 

 premolar, the total number of teeth varying from 28 to 

 HO. The Shrew Mice feed upon insects and their larvae 

 and are thus true friends of the agriculturist. 



Trouessart, in his " Catalogus Mammalium," 

 enumerates seven species, while W. L. Sclater, in his 

 " Mammals," includes nine. A number of species have 

 been described since then, however, principally by 

 Oldfield Thomas, of the British Museum, and his 

 colleagues, from material collected for the Rudd 

 Zoological Survey of South Africa. As they are difficult 

 little animals to determine, being all of some shade of 

 grey — light, medium, slate and dark — it would serve no 

 good purpose to go into detail in a book of this nature. 

 I will merely mention one of the species with which 

 I have had a good deal of personal experience, and whose 

 breeding habits I have been fortunate enough to observe. 



Crocidura varilla. Divarf Shrcic. Diverg Langsnoet 2Iuis. 



This is one of the smallest of the Shrews, if not the 

 smallest, in South Africa. It is nearly mouse-grey in 

 colour, paler below, with the snout and pedal extremities 

 white. Length of head and body about IJ inches. Tail 

 nearly li inches. 



