6 Adams, Life of the Common and the Lesser Shrew. 



I append a list of insects, etc., offered to him, and his 

 reception of them : — 



Flies. Bluebottles, Greenbottles, House Flies, Hover Flies 

 and Drone Flies {Eristalis tenax) were all greedily 

 devoured. 



Spiders. A very large Epeira diadema, a " hay "' spider 

 and others devoured at once. 



Cockroaches. Devoured at once. 



Woodlice. Devoured at once. In fact, I never found the 

 limit of his capacity in respect to all the above ; the 

 supply always gave out before the demand. 



A large Devil's Coach Horse {Ocypus olens) was seized at 

 once, and, in spite of its violent struggles and attempts 

 to bite, was entirely consumed except the mandibles 

 which were bitten off and cast on the ground. 



Millipedes were received with only moderate enthusiasm, 

 an hilus being absolutely ignored, while centipedes 

 were eaten when nothing else remained. 



Honey Bees. One was eaten after some hesitation ; another 

 was unmolested. 



Wasp. This was the only living thing absolutely rejected. 



Worvis of all sorts were eaten greedily. 



Mollusks. Besides those previously mentioned, small snails 

 {Hyalitiia cellaria and Hy. alliaria) were refused at 

 first, but afterwards eaten. A small example of the 

 keeled slug, Milax Sowerbyi, was refused at first but 

 afterwards eaten. 



After spending half an hour in eating, or rather 

 ferocious gorging, the captive would leave off suddenly, 

 retire to a particular spot amongst the hay and compose 

 himself for a nap. He never attempted to make a nest, 

 but merely snuggled in the hay as it lay on the floor of 



