SHREW-MOUSE 3 



consists of insects of various kinds, but chiefly dipterous. It is 

 said to be also partial to meat, and has been found in larders and 

 pantries feeding upon joints ! The Pipistrelle inhabits the 

 crevices of walls and old buildings throughout the day. 

 It passes the winter in a state of torpidity, but appears to hyper- 

 nate for a shorter period than other and larger species. 



DAUBENTON'S BAT (Vespemgo Daubentoni) frequents aquatic 

 situations, and feeds upon gnats and other insects found in low- 

 lying places. 



MOUSE-COLOURED BAT (Vespertilio murinus) is local in distribu- 

 tion and found in or about buildirigs, and feeds upon nocturnal 

 lepidoptera or moths. 



NOCTULE BAT (Vesperugo noctula), Fig. i, lowermost figure, 

 dwells in hollow trees, woods, pleasure grounds, and elsewhere 

 in similar retreats, feeding largely upon cockchafer (Melolontha 

 vulgans), gardenchafer (Phyllopertha horticola), and rosechafer 

 (Cetonia aurata), fifteen chafers having been found in the stomach 

 of one bat. 



LONG-EARED BAT (Plecotm auritus), Fig. i, uppermost figure, is 

 found in woodlands and on heaths where trees exist, feeding upon 

 small lepidoptera, beetles, and flies, always rejecting the head, 

 legs, and wings. 



In geological time the bats range from Eccene tertiaries down 

 to the present, the Vespertilio being amongst the earliest and most 

 common forms. In the caves and caverns of seme countries the 

 accumulated excreta of vast numbers of bats is so considerable 

 as to have commercial value as bat guano, which, according to 

 Dr. Voelcker, contains nitrogen in three forms : first, as organic 

 matter ; secondly, as ammonia salts ; and thirdly, in the form of 

 nitrates. It also contains over six per cent, of phosphoric acid, 

 and twelve per cent, of lime, and is chiefly sent into commerce 

 from Texas, United States of America. 



SHREW-MOUSE. The Shrews belong to the order Insectivora, 

 and form the family Soricidae. They are known by their hairy 

 bodies, and by having the feet formed for running, eyes well de- 

 veloped, ears present but usually small, jaws prolonged, and a 

 mobile snout exists. The typical species are European in distribu- 

 tion and the following are found in Great Britain. 



The COMMON SHREW or SHREW-MOUSE (Sorex tetragonums or S. 

 araneus), Fig. 2, averages about four inches in length, the tail 

 making up half that measurement, and this appendage is of square 

 shape. It is readily distinguished by its prolonged muzzle and by 

 the teeth being coloured brown at their tips. It feeds upon insects 

 and their larvae, and inhabits dry places, making a nest of leaves 

 and grasses. The young, numbering from five to seven, are born 

 in the spring. These little animals are very voracious in their 

 habits, and frequently kill and devour one another. The Shrew- 



