336 THE INSECTIVORES 



It does not appear that this shrew has been seen by Europeans disporting in 

 the waters of its native streams. From its structure we may, however, confidently 

 infer that it is more thoroughly aquatic than any other member of the family ; and 

 it has been suggested by Milne-Edwards, its original describer, that the disc-like 

 pads on the soles of the feet act as suckers, and thus enable the animal to cling to 

 the surfaces of smooth pebbles or rocks during it sojourn beneath the water. 



THE DESMANS AND MOLES 

 Family 



The European desmans and the more widely-spread moles are the best-known 

 representatives of two sections of a family which, while allied in many respects to 

 the shrews, possess characteristics of sufficient importance to justify its separation 

 therefrom. It the first place, the skull in all the members of the family Talpidcz is 

 distinguished from that of the Soricid<z by having a distinct zygomatic arch con- 



SKEX.ETON OF MOI<E. 



tiecting the upper jaw with the region of the ear ; this difference being distinctly 

 shown by a comparison of the figure of the skeleton of the mole given herewith 

 with that of the skeleton of the water-shrew on p. 328. Then, again on the under 

 surface of the hinder part of the skull, whereas the so-called bulla of the internal 

 ear is represented in the shrews merely by an open ring, in the desmans and moles 

 it has a complete bladder-like form. Further, the first incisor tooth of both jaws 

 in the members of the present family is of a normal type, and never assumes the 

 peculiar form which has been shown to be characteristic of all the shrews. 



Most of the members of the present family are of fossorial habits, although a 

 few are more or less completely aquatic, and others cursorial. All have long shrew- 

 like skulls, and small eyes and ears ; while in most cases the fore limbs are placed 

 very far forward on the body, and are more or less specially modified for the purpose 

 of digging in the ground. The family, although by no means so numerous in species 

 as the shrews, is a comparatively large one, containing at least eight distinct generic 

 modifications. It is entirely confined to the Northern Hemisphere, where it is widely 

 distributed over the temperate regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. 



