SHREWS 



most elegant, being a slim fairy-like mite, 

 while the water shrew appears somewhat 

 coarse and heavy by comparison. It is not 

 only larger, but it is a stouter, heavier animal ; 

 indeed it has many and considerable differences 

 from the common and lesser shrews, so that in 

 scientific classification it is separated from them. 

 Besides these three shrews there is a fourth 

 found in Great Britain, namely the Islay shrew, 

 found on the island of that name off the coast 

 of Scotland ; but as it is only found there, we 

 will say no more about it here than to mention 

 that in colour it is somewhat like a water shrew, 

 but is really closely allied to the common 

 shrew, and that it is not found anywhere else 

 in the world. Now the wee pigmy shrew is 

 not only found in most parts of England, 

 Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, but throughout 

 Europe and across the great continent of Asia. 

 It seems that its tiny size must be a help rather 

 than a hindrance in the struggle for life, or else 

 it could not have managed to travel so widely. 

 As a matter of fact the common shrew must also 

 be called a very successful animal, for it is 

 certainly one of the commonest creatures we 

 have. As I have said before, it is found 

 everywhere ; no garden is without shrews, and 



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