98 WILD ANIMALS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. 



the largest of their family in the Eocky Mountain region. Adults 

 measure, in millimeters: Total length, about 148; tail, Tl ; hind foot, 

 20 or 21. With their long, flexible noses, minute eyes, and incon- 

 spicuous ears they are typical of this family of insect eaters; but, 

 unlike the other members, they are highly specialized for life in the 

 water. The hind feet are large, with fringed margins for swimming, 

 and the long tail is evidently useful as a rudder. They are probably 

 common and generally distributed over the park, as well as north 

 and south and west of it. In 1895 specimens were taken at St. Mary 

 Lake and along the railroad between Paola and Nj^ack, all in the 

 vicinity of creeks, springs, or ponds in the Canadian Zone. The 

 shrews are not often seen except when caught in traps, but on rare 

 occasions one may be seen darting about in the water, over the sur- 

 face or underneath, in search of its prey, as much at home as a seal or 

 otter. They are less often seen on land, as they keep mainly under 

 cover of logs, banks, or fallen vegetation, where they hunt for insects 

 and any small animal life that comes in their way as food. Usually 

 they are found not far from water and on wet ground or under damp 

 logs or banks. Their stomachs are generally full of the finely chewed- 

 up remains of insects and unidentifiable particles of small animals, 

 and any kind of meat used as trap bait is eagerh' taken. If a mouse 

 has been caught in the trap before a shrew comes along, it is invari- 

 ably partly, and sometimes wholly, eaten, and the shrew is generally 

 caught if the trap is reset in the same place. 



There has been much speculation as to whether the shrews catch 

 small fish and eat fish eggs, and while there seems to be no positive 

 evidence on the subject, they would doubtless do so if opportunity 

 offered. Their skill and quickness in the water would certainly 

 enable them to catch minnows and small fish, but fortunately they 

 are not sufficiently abundant to do any serious harm. Any oppor- 

 tunity to study their habits in life should be followed up with great 

 care, as the subject is one of importance as well as of general interest. 



Dusky Shrew: Sorex ohscurus oljscurus Merriam. — These little 

 dusky brown shrews, while only 110 to 115 millimeters in total 

 length, with tail about 45 and hind foot 13, are the largest and ap- 

 parently the commonest of the three species of little shrews occur- 

 ring in the park. At St. Mary Lake, Howell and I caught nine speci- 

 mens in May and June, 1805. and in 1017 I collected specimens in the 

 park at Many Glacier and at Wall Lake, British Columbia, close to the 

 northern line. They are genei-ally caught in traps set for other mice 

 under logs or rocks, or in holes, creek banks, and runways through 

 the meadow grass. Tiny roadways are found under the surface layer 

 of leaves and fallen vegetation, where the shrews run through their 

 covered galleries from burrow to burrow or follow the trails of 

 meadow mice and other species through the grass and weeds. They 



