752 Mr. R. I. Pocock on Warning Characteristics^ 



startle a mouse or vole into seeking safety with a wild dart 

 or leap, or reduce him in a moment to a state of complete 

 but watchful quiescence, awaiting developments. 



Although 1 am disposed to think the difference in behaviour 

 between this shrew and small rodents may very likely be a 

 question of palatability, I have no proof of the fact; and I 

 merely suggest that this species of insectivore comes into the 

 category of self-advertising mammals. But since this 

 animal is not silent and possesses scent-glands which make 

 it unpalatable to cats and, according to Wood, to other 

 animals, it is evident that the species has the essential 

 attributes that underly advertisement in other mammals. 

 The same is true, I suspect, of all the small white-toothed 

 shrews of the genus Crocidura, and it appears to me that 

 there is convincing evidence that some of the larger forms 

 of this genus are protected self-advertisers. 



Many writers have testified to the strength of the odour 

 emitted by the large Indian musk-shrew [Crocidura cd'ru/ea) 

 — the " musk-rat of English residents — and to its habit of 

 squeaking when wandering abroad after nightfall. The 

 same or a closely allied form, known to the Chinese as 

 " Chl-ch, 00," or money-rat, is described by Mr. Swinlioe * as 

 living in houses in China, Formosa, and Hainan. It has an 

 unpleasant and persistent musky odour and makes a peculiar 

 chattering noise, like the jingling of money, when roaming 

 about at night. But I know of no account of the Indian 

 species so full of interesting collateral details as that given 

 by Lt.-Col. D. D. Cunningluun, F.R.S., who says f : — 



" Every one in India is familiar with the great musk- 

 shrews, or ' musk-rats ' . . . . who are constantly invading 

 houses and leaving unpleasant evidence of their visits in an 

 overpowering and all-pervading musky odour. They are 

 strange-looking creatures at any time, and ])articularly so 

 whilst running about a garden in late dusk, icheii their 

 pallidly bluish-grei/ coats look as though they had been smeared 

 with luminous paint and stand out conspicuous amid the 

 surrounding gloom. Soon after sundown they begin to come 

 out and run busily about beneath the shrubs and among the 

 long grass, constantly tittering shrill, tu-ittering cries, that 

 sound more like those of a bird than a mammal .... they 

 fearlessly enter rooms in pursuit of [their prey] .... When 

 they come in, they usually skirt along in the angles where 

 the walls and floor meet, coursing along, scvjfiing and 



* ' The Zoologist; ISoS, p. Cc'iU. 



t 'Some Indian Friends: and Aequaintance.*.' pp. 284-285. London: 

 .loll 11 Mumn. liKKJ. 



