SHREWS 



floating quite high in the water as it paddles 

 along, so that its body is only sunk to the point 

 where the white fur joins the black, but should 

 anything startle it it is gone in a moment, 

 having dived to the bottom, only a few bubbles 

 showing where it has gone. Under the surface 

 a water shrew looks like a streak of silver, for 

 the bubbles of air that get caught in its fur 

 reflect the light. 



It is under the water that this shrew finds 

 the greater part of its food, searching among 

 the water plants, stones, and sticks for grubs 

 and insects, of which there are usually quanti- 

 ties to be found. But it is not particular, and 

 will eat almost anything that comes in its way, 

 including its friend and neighbour if the latter 

 should chance to die ! A sad case of this 

 happened to me. With a great deal of trouble I 

 had managed to catch two water shrews, of 

 whose ways at that time I did not know much, 

 so I put them together in one cage, or rather an 

 aquarium. This was arranged with water, a 

 bank, dry leaves, growing plants, and every- 

 thing that might make the shrews think they 

 were still at home by the stream-side. Plenty 

 of grubs were there, ready so that they should 

 not be short of food, and by putting the two 



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