BRITISH SHREW-MICE. 



THESE curious little animals are regarded by some 

 persons as being actually mice, on account of their 

 somewhat mouse-like form, though they belong in 

 reality to the insectivorous order, which in Britain 

 comprehends the shrews, the hedgehog, and the 

 mole, and has not the slightest affinity to any of the 

 rodent types. The genus Sorex is characterised by 

 having the ears and eyes small, the snout singularly 

 elongated, and tapering to a point ; the tail long, 

 slender, and somewhat quadrangular in form ; the 

 feet short, with five toes, the claws being compressed 

 and acute. The dentition consists of two incisors 

 in each jaw ; the upper ones are curved and notched 

 at the base ; the lower ones are elongated and almost 

 horizontal, the upper edge being serrated in some 

 species, these are followed by three, four, or five 

 praemolars on each side above, and two below. 

 These teeth have been regarded as lateral incisors 

 by some zoologists. The true molars are four on 



