ON THE HABITS OF THE WATER-SHREW. 



(Crossopus fodiens.) 



[Mead before the Zoological Society, June 27th, 1865.] 



I AM induced to offer you the following account 

 of the water-shrew, as the animal in question, 

 though tolerably abundant in many localities, may 

 not have come under the personal observation of 

 some of my hearers. I have also never seen it men- 

 tioned as having been kept with success in con- 

 finement, and therefore will attempt to describe as 

 accurately as possible the habits of a pair that lived 

 in my possession for a considerable time, hoping 

 that the details may not prove altogether unin- 

 teresting. 



In form this shrew closely resembles the common 

 species, the snout being lengthened in the same 

 manner, and the fur having the same velvety soft- 

 ness of texture. In size, however, it is superior, 

 a full-grown male measuring a little more than five 

 inches in total length, whereas the field-shrew 

 rarely exceeds four inches ; the feet and tail are 



