76 SHREW. 



living quietly in their holes, and finding plenty of food 

 without going abroad. It is said to feed not only on 

 worms, but on the roots of vegetables, preferring, however, 

 animal food. It shows, under peculiar circumstances, a 

 fierce and voracious disposition. It is difficult to keep 

 Moles alive in confinement, it being necessary to furnish 

 them with a constant supply of damp mould. The Mole, 

 like all other black animals, is sometimes found white. 

 The mole contrives a curious and convenient nest for her 

 four 01* five young ones, forming it of the roots and fibres 

 of plants, so that it is impenetrable to water, there are 

 passages leading from it to admit of the animals going in 

 quest of prey ; the place of these nests maybe known from 

 the mole hills which are formed over it of the loose earth 

 thrown up behind the animal. The greatest evil to which 

 Moles are exposed ai ; ise from floods, when numbers are 

 drowned, in spite of their powers of swimming. Moles 

 are not known in Ireland. In Siberia they attain a very 

 large size. Their beautiful fur is useless from the difficulty 

 there is in preparing it for service. There are some 

 varieties of this species which differ in colour, &c. 



THE SHREW. 



The common Shrew is perhaps the smallest of the 

 European quadrupeds ; being about two inches and a half 

 long. Its general appearance is like that of a mouse, 

 but it is distinguished by its long and slender snout. It 

 lives in fields and gardens, and eats roots, grain, insects, 

 and other animal substance. It has a strong and unplea- 

 sant smell, so that cats will not eat it. It appears that a 

 great number of these little animals die in the autumn, 

 they being found dead at that time, about the paths in 

 fields and gardens. It breeds in holes among moss, under 

 banks, and is said to bring forth several young at a time. 

 The colour is rather redder than that of a mouse. It is 

 found in all parts of Europe, in Siberia, and Kamschatka. 



The radiated Shrew is a very curious animal wkh a long 

 snout ending in soft distinct processes, resembling the 

 form of a spur. It is a native of Canada, and resembles a 

 mouse in form and agility. Its tail is three inches long, 

 knotty and almost naked, narrowing very much towards 

 the end. There are several other species ofthe Shrew 

 genus, one of which, the Pigmy Shrew, is the smallest of 

 quadrupeds, weighing only half a dram. 



