8 MAMMALIA. FERA. Sorex. 



duced, and truncated, and the nostrils are narrow. The body is covered 

 above with stiff bristles mixed with hair, and below with hair and no bristles. 

 The length is about 10 inches, the tail 1 inch. It is found chiefly near hedges 

 and thickets of furze, and feeds on snails, slugs, worms, and beetles. It is 

 peculiarly serviceable in gardens, which it will speedily clear of such vermin. 

 It is fond of the roots of the plantain. It soon becomes tame, and wiU readily 

 devour bread soaked with milk, or pieces of flesh. It seldom breeds in con- 

 finement. Its young at birth are blind and naked, concealed in a nest of 

 grass, leaves, and moss, and are from four to five in number. The young 

 are incapable of rolling themselves up, which in maturity they can do with 

 ease when terrified, and then present to a dog or other foe a prickly ball. It 

 becomes torpid during the winter, lodging in a dry nest of leaves. It is some^ 

 times persecuted, faom the foolish belief that it climbs up trees and robs them 

 of their fruit, or sucks cows and hurts their udders. The skin is sometimes 

 fixed on the noses of calves or foals at weaning-time, to jjrevent them sucking, 

 and to initate the mother. It has likewise been employed to hackle hemp. 

 In Scotland, the northern limits of its geographical distribution probably do 

 not exceed the Murray Frith, 



Gen. v. sorex. Shrew. — Two middle incisors above, bent 

 and notched at the base. The claws of the British species 

 are white. 



9. S. araneus. Common Shrew.— Colour blackish-brown, 



Mus aran. liay^ Syn. Quad. 239 — -B, Erd Mouse, Hardy Shrew ; S, Erd 



Shrew ; W^ Llygoden-goch, Chwistlen, Llyg ; G, DauUag. — Frequent 



in old walls and grassy banks. Extends to Orkney. 



The length is about 2^ inches; of the tail 1^ inches. The toes are plain 



q\\ the edges. The tail is cylindrical, dark above, light-coloured beneath, and 



dark at the tip. They have five young. Formerl}", supposed to be mjurious 



to cattle. Numbers of them seem to die by disease in August. 



10. S.Jbdiens. Water Shrew. — Colour raven-black, with a 

 small white spot above each eye. 



Mus araneus, dorso nigro ventroque albo, Men: Pin. 167' — Water Sh. 



Penn. Brit. ^ool. i. 126. tab. xi. No. 33 — S. ciliatus, Sowerby, Brit. 



Misc. tab. xlix — Water Sh. Mont. Linn. Trans, vii. 270 — Flem. Wern. 



Mem. ii. 238 — Burrows in banks near water, and is not uncommon. 

 This species exceeds the former in size. Length of the body 3 inches ; of 

 the tail 2 inches. Weight 3 drachms. The colour on the under side inclines 

 to Avhite. Snout long, and a little depressed. Whiskers long. Eyes small, 

 and concealed by the fur. Ears wide, with a pale tuft on the inside. In the 

 middle of the throat and ventral base of the tail a black spot, with a line of the 

 same colour along the middle of the belly. Tail tapering, covered with very 

 short hair, and nearly white at the tip. INIargin of the toes on each side ciliated 

 with white hairs. This species swims and dives M'ith considerable facility. 

 We have seen it nctively employed on the surface of the water, catching the 

 Hydrometradse. Said to bring forth nine young. 



B. Incisors nearly equal. Tusks large. 

 Gen. TALPA. Mole. Back covered with hair.-^Furnished 

 with a tail. Incisors in the upper jaw six, in the lower 

 eight. No external ears. The sternum is furnished with 

 a mesial crest. Forefeet broad, and formed for digging. 



