SOREX 8i 



the American Notiosorex, with only twenty-eight teeth ; the 

 short-tailed Blarina, also American ; and the familiar Neomys, 

 or water shrews. These constitute the sub-family Soricince, 

 or red-toothed shrews, which are thus readily distinguished 

 from the Crocidurince, or white-toothed shrews, a sub-family 

 with two European genera, Pachyttra and Crocidura. The 

 latter is numerous in species, and represented on the continental 

 shores of the English Channel and even in the Channel Islands 

 (Sinel). It was a Crocidura that was mummified by the ancient 

 Egyptians. 



The two British species of So7'ex resemble each other so 

 closely that they are often confounded. They are extremely 

 active, quarrelsome, and voracious animals, very widely 

 distributed all over the country, and the larger of them at least 

 in great abundance. They spend their time in an almost 

 incessant pursuit of such living things, chiefly invertebrates, but 

 occasionally vertebrates — even their own species — as they can 

 overpower ; and their unreasoning and undiscriminating ferocity 

 is indicative of low brain power. They may consume vege- 

 table matter in times of scarcity, but there is little evidence of 

 this for wild individuals in Britain. The breeding season lasts 

 for nine months of the year, and they produce as many as eight 

 or ten young at a time. These, which are naked and helpless at 

 birth, are deposited in a warm nest, where they grow rapidly. 

 Although, owing to their enormous appetite, shrews soon become 

 reconciled to captivity, they usually die after a few weeks ; indeed, 

 so many dead carcases are found lying about in open places, 

 especially towards the end of summer, that it seems probable 

 that the span of their natural existence is brief, perhaps not 

 exceeding a year or thereabouts. 



They swim well and can climb when occasion arises, but 

 probably dig little, preferring to occupy natural crevices or 

 the runs of small rodents. They do not hibernate. 



Shrews are of delicate constitution, and readily succumb to 

 injuries. 



They possess an unpleasant odour, so that many carnivorous 

 animals will not readily eat them, and, owing to the character of 

 the contents of their intestines, when killed they undergo a rapid 

 putrefaction. 



