Shrews 259 



The Shrew is called Cecrai, or Cecres, and Llyg, about 

 Llanuwchllyn, and is numerous, being often found at con- 

 siderable elevations on the mountains. One person I met 

 called it Llygoden dtear, or " earth mouse," which is the 

 exact equivalent of the Old English " Yardmouse," or 

 " Erdshrew," from the Anglo-Saxon Earth, earth, and 

 Schreava, the name of the animal, the latter probably 

 derived from Schreadan, to cut ; Schrif, to censure bitterly ; 

 hence, " Shrewish," of a biting disposition. 1 



The Water Shrew is, also, probably common in the district, 

 since I found its bones, on several occasions, in the castings 

 of Hawks, Owls, and Ravens, though I chanced only once to 

 meet with the animal alive. This was in the rocky channel 

 of the stream just above Llangowr, a place about as un- 

 suitable to the habits of such an animal as could well be 

 imagined, one would have thought, yet it was quite at 

 home, burrowing amongst the gravel at the bottom of a 

 pool, and returning, every now and again, with some bonne 

 bouche to discuss on the bank. What it was after was 

 evidently the larvae of water insects, as I picked up the torn 

 cases of one or two Caddis Flies, where it had been busy. 

 It was of the strongly contrasted black-and-white type, and 

 nothing could have exceeded its beauty in the water. When 

 swimming on the surface, the sides were so flattened out that 

 a strip of white showed along each margin of the body ; 

 when underneath the water, the whole fur sparkled with 

 imprisoned air-bubbles, that glistened like so many diamonds 

 in their dark setting. 



The fact that Shrews are so often killed by cats and birds- 

 of-prey, but rejected by them as food, is well known, but 

 the reason is somewhat obscure. Perhaps, indeed, no 

 explanation is required beyond the rank smell of the Shrew, 

 which may make it unpalatable, unless its captor happens to 

 be especially hungry. On Aran, one afternoon, a Kestrel 

 hovered near me, and presently dropped to the grass, about 

 a hundred yards away. It then carried its prey to the top 

 of a small bank some little distance further off, bit it, but 

 left it there ; and on my going to see what it was, Hound a 

 1 See Bell's British Quadrupeds. 



