THE BRITISH MAMMALS : THEIR GENERA AND SPECIES. 65 



over all, rather less than half of this being taken up by the tail ; the 

 female being always of smaller build and lighter colour. The eyes 

 and ears are large. The short, rounded skull is noteworthy for its 

 broad frontals, and long postorbital processes. There are no 

 canine teeth, and only one pair of incisors in each jaw ; in the upper 

 jaw are two premolars, one of which is diminutive and soon lost, 

 and three molars ; and in the lower set are one premolar and three 

 molars. In the hand are four digits,/ and a rudimentary thumb, 

 which is almost opposable ; and in the foot are five toes, all, like 

 the fingers, with long, sharp claws with which he clings to the bark 

 as he runs up the trees. He is always found in woods, generally 

 where beeches, oaks, and hazels are plentiful, for he feeds on beech 

 mast, acorns, nuts, young shoots, fungi, eggs, insects, and sundries. 

 In eating a nut he scrapes off the small end with his teeth as he 



SQUIRREL. 

 (Sciurus vulgaris.) 



holds it in his hands, splits the shell in two as a man might do with 

 a knife, and, before he eats the kernel, carefully removes the skin. 

 He lays up stores of food for the winter, and is up and about when- 

 ever the weather is mild or sunny, so that he can hardly be said to 

 hibernate. He pairs for life, and the young, from three to seven in 

 number, are born blind in a nest or "drey," fairly well made of 

 leaves, fibres, and moss, in a fork of a tree or a hole in the stem. 

 Few would suppose that he is the "camel" of whose hair the 

 paint-brushes are made. He lives in suitable localities all over the 

 country, even in Ireland, and ranges thence as far east as Japan, 

 and as far south as the North of Italy. 



Sorex. Plate iv. INSECTIVORA. 



18. vnlgaris, COMMON SHREW. Over two inches and a half in 

 length exclusive of tail ; third upper incisor not longer 

 than adjoining tooth. 



