98 INSECT-EATERS 



night he would have to excavate a tunnel thirty-seven miles 

 long and of a size to allow him to crawl through it. 



Thoughtless people are apt to pity the Mole for its dark 

 and apparently cheerless life ; but the reader, seeing what 

 infinite pains the Creator has taken to adapt every little 

 detail of its structure to its life, will be able to understand 

 that the Mole is as happy while burrowing in the dark 

 underground as is the skylark floating high up in the sun- 

 shine and pouring out its joy in exulting song. 



There is a demand for the fur of the Mole, which is the 

 finest of any British animal. It is very impervious to wet, 

 and many thousands of skins are used every year for jackets, 

 waistcoats, purses, &c. One of the most durable of textiles, 

 a strong fustian that wears like leather, has received the 

 name 'moleskin.' 



FAMILY SORICID^E. 

 SHREW (Sorex vulgar is). 



The Shrews, of which there are three varieties in our 

 country, are commonly called Shrew-mice ; but though 

 in general appearance they resemble mice, their teeth in- 

 dubitably prove them to belong to the Insectivora. 



The common Shrew is usually about two inches and 

 three-quarters in length, of which quite half is accounted 

 for- by the tail. The attenuated snout is the chief feature 

 of the head. The body and the tail are covered with fine 

 velvety fur, reddish mouse-colour above and grey beneath. 

 The creature is common nearly everywhere in the British 

 Isles, except Ireland. It abounds in dry fields, hedgerows, 

 and gardens. Grubbing with its long snout for worms and 

 insects, it makes long runs just under the surface of the 

 ground. Insects are preferred to anything else, but the little 

 creature will attack lizards and frogs and even very small 

 birds. In spring there are fierce fights among the males for 

 mates. The nest of leaves and dry grass is made in a hole 

 in a bank, in which from five to eight young ones are born 

 in July or August. 



During the autumn large numbers of dead Shrews are 



