584 Mr. H. Denny's Sketch of the Natural History 



loping in an awkward manner to and from the party, and ap- 

 peared to sleep with comfort upon the servant girl's lap. It 

 was exceedingly ravenous, and would eat small birds wdth as 

 great a zest as fish and milk. 



The Fox is of more frequent occurrenccj and so long as 

 there are several zealous foxhunters in the district its breed 

 will be preserved ; we have two varieties, distinguished by the 

 appellations of Hound or Dog Fox, and Cur Fox ; the former 

 a larger animal than the latter. 



The Mole is very abundant, and not unfrequently of a dun 

 colour, as also of a grayish lead colour. I do not know a more 

 pleasing little animal to have in captivity than this ; its mo- 

 tions are so rapid and its sense of smelling and hearing so 

 acute. The Mole soon becomes reconciled to a box of earth, 

 and may frequently be seen peeping out of its burrow or 

 searching the spot allotted for food. One which I kept for 

 a few days would come to the surface almost immediately on 

 my holding a piece of fresh meat to the mouth of its hole, 

 seize the morsel, and retreat backwards with the greatest faci- 

 lity to devour its meal, and soon reappear for a fresh supply. 

 The digestive organs of this animal act so rapidly that it is in 

 almost constant want of food, and soon dies if not frequently 

 supplied. I suspected that mine died from drinking too 

 much milk, which I used to give it in a teaspoon, and of 

 which the little creature appeared exceedingly fond ; drinking 

 very freely, and thrusting its nose into the milk as a pig does 

 into its trough. 



Of the genus Sorex only three species have come under my 

 notice, the Araneus and fodiens. I suspect however the re- 

 mifer occurs also ; for the only Shrew which was preserved in 

 our Museum until last year was a bad specimen of that spe- 

 cies, and which I have no doubt whatever was killed in the 

 neighbourhood. The >S^. fodiens is said to be very expert at 

 catching the Gyrinida. The S. Aranevs, which is abundant, 

 may be seen here as elsewhere very frequently lying dead in the 

 lanes and hedgerows in autumn, some seasons especially, in 

 numbers : the cause, however, of this singular fatality appears 

 still a mystery. I have heard it stated by persons residing in 

 the country, that the Shrews fight furiously, and thus destroy 



