THE WATER SHREW THE OTTER SHREW 171 



THE WATER SHREW 



(Neomys fodiens) 



THE Water Shrew is the largest of our Shrews, being considerably bigger than the 

 Common Shrew ; it is also more strikingly coloured, being jet-black above and 

 usually pure white below, though some are grey there. Although it is amphibious 

 in habits, it is not web-footed. It lives by the side of still clear water, and feeds on 

 any insects, fish-spawn, and such like small articles of animal food it may procure. 

 Its habits are exceedingly active and playful. It is not found in Ireland, but ranges 

 from England east to the Altai Mountains. 



THE MUSK SHREW 



(Crocidura cosrulescens) 



I SAID that the Hedgehog was the most familiar insectivore in the sense of being a 

 common British animal often kept as a pet ; but the most really familiar in its 

 habits is the Musk Shrew, the well-known "Musk-Rat" of the East, for it is 

 habitually found in and about houses. It is the biggest of the true Shrews, about 

 equalling a Mole in size, and of a peculiar blue-grey colour. All Anglo-Indians are 

 familiar with the chattering cry of the little beast as it prowls about at night along 

 the walls in search of cockroaches ; it is really a useful creature, and any attempt 

 to disturb it makes it emit a most objectionable musky smell from certain glands on 

 its sides. Our ordinary Shrews have these glands, and possibly their secretion 

 is what prevents Dogs and Cats from eating Shrews, though they are consumed by 

 Owls. The Musk Shrew is the only species which has been exhibited in the 

 London Zoological Gardens. 



THE ELEPHANT SHREW 



THIS family {Macroscelididfe) is confined to Africa, and contains a number of 

 curious little animals, about the size of Rats, with peculiarly narrow snouts, large 

 eyes and ears, and long hind-legs, on which they jump about ; here, then, is 

 another parallelism with rodents, the Jerboas being well-known jumpers in that 

 order. Their food consists of insects ; they have been kept in captivity, but I have 

 never heard of any being brought to England. 



THE OTTER SHREW 



(Potamogale velox) 



THE Otter Shrew is a very curious beast discovered in West Africa by Du Chaillu, 

 and having a family all to itself (Potamogalidte). It is one of the largest of 



