THE SHREWS OR RUNNERS. 



119 



The following account of the habits of the water- 

 shrew is given in Bell's British Quadrupeds: 



"An intimate friend, in whose capabilities for 

 accurate observations we place the greatest reliance, 

 being one day concealed, gun in hand, for the 



purpose of shooting some carrion crows, near a hill- 

 side ditch at Temple Grafton, near Stratford-on- 

 Avon, had his attention called to a shrew of this 

 species, which was busily engaged in seeking for 

 food amongst the stones in the rapid but shallow 

 water at the bottom of the ditch. These it turned 

 over or displaced, by forcing itself under them, 

 and in this manner several of large size, compared 

 with that of the animal itself, were removed. The 

 food appeared to be taken at the moment the stone 

 was raised from its resting-place, though in some 

 instances by the animal merely poking its long snout 

 under the stone, without lifting it; but in every 

 case, when caught, it was conveyed to the side 

 to be devoured. It consisted of smajl creatures 

 having hard parts, which the shrew was heard 

 crunching up in the process of mastication. 



" Shortly afterwards the spot was pointed out to 

 us, and, on examination, we found the pretty stream 

 Sessile-eyed Crustacean, Gammarus Pulex, in plenty 

 under the stones in the ditch, and entertained but 



little doubt that it was on these small crustaceans 

 that the shrew was feeding, and that the crushing 

 sound observed during mastication was occasioned 

 by their hard coverings. 



" We do not know whether the water-shrew is 

 piscivorous in its habits, though it is not unlikely 

 that it may feed on the spawn or fry of minnows, 

 or other small fish, but to its carnivorous propensities 

 we can ourselves bear testimony. Having occasion 

 to enter an outhouse used as a carpenter's shop at 

 Welford Hill, we were somewhat surprised to hear 

 the shrill chattering squeak of a shrew, and its 

 quick rustle, or rather rush, amongst the shavings 

 upon the floor. Remaining still for a few minutes 

 we saw an animal of the present species emerge 

 from the shavings, and, scampering across a large 

 sheet of brown paper, pass under the dried body 

 of a barn-door fowl which was lying in a corner. 

 On lifting up the fowl by the legs, the shrew made 

 its escape from a hole in the abdomen, and it was 

 found on examination that nearly all the internal 

 parts, in a half-dried and half-decomposed state, 

 had been devoured, though whether wholly by the 

 shrew or partly by mice we are unable to state. 



"Another equally well authenticated and inter- 

 esting notice of its flesh-consuming habits may with 

 advantage be introduced here. A brother of one 

 of the authors of the present work, having one 

 night placed a steel trap for vermin, visited it in 

 the following morning; and on drawing near, saw 

 that it contained a full-grown rat, on which was 

 perched a small black object, which proved on closer 

 approach to be a water-shrew. The rat was dead 

 and the shrew was devouring it. ... 



" We have once, and once only, seen it at Sel- 

 bornc. It was hunting in the most active and 

 curious manner at the bottom of a small roadside 

 stream; and as its body was much flattened, the 

 white of the belly projected in a narrow border, 

 edging the deep black of the back, and rendering 

 it altogether the prettiest object imaginable. 



" Its swimming is principally effected by the 

 alternate action of the hinder feet, which produces 

 an unequal or wriggling motion: it makes its way, 

 however, with great velocity, and as it swims rather 

 superficially, with the belly flattened, the sides, as 

 it were, spread out, and the tail extended back- 

 wards as a rudder, it forms a very beautiful and 

 pleasing object, moving on the calm surface of a 

 quiet brook, or diving in an instant after its food, 

 its black velvety coat becoming beautifully silvered 

 with the innumerable bubbles of air that cover it 



