WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



left the hind. He liked, if he could, to drag his 

 worms under the moss, as there they could not 

 squirm over him and soil his beautiful fur. He 

 was most particular over his toilet, and would 

 lick his coat as a cat or dog does, but he never 

 sat up on his hind legs and washed his face as 

 the true mice do. To go back to the ' Atom's ' 

 food, he soon learnt where it came from, and 

 would come to me when called. From the 

 first he had been quite fearless, and as soon 

 as he found out that a hand put into the cage 

 meant food he would rush from his nest, take 

 the worm, and drag it away. I did not always 

 let him have it at once, when he would hang 

 determinedly to the end and pull with all his 

 might. Many times I lifted him up into the air 

 hanging to the end of the worm ; no bull-dog 

 could have been more determined, he even 

 equalled that fiercest of creatures the mole ! 



The shrew was also fond of spiders, flies, 

 and such insects as could be found. At the 

 end of a few days' 'hand feeding' he became 

 so bold that he would climb on to the hand and 

 try and get up your sleeve. He would not 

 stand any nonsense ; if offered an empty hand 

 he would attack one's fingers with all his might 

 and main, biting and worrying like a savage 

 80 



