WATER SHREW. 133 



It seems rather absurd that an animal which can 

 chase and capture a salmon in its own element, and 

 swim thirty miles, should be in danger of drowning in 

 a little tank not so large as a moderate-sized room. 

 The reason, however, was soon apparent. The animal 

 had travelled for a considerable distance by land, 

 without any opportunity of getting at water. Conse- 

 quently, its fur became choked with dust and dirt, 

 absorbed water like a sponge, and was very nearly the 

 cause of its owner's death. 



The water-resisting power of fur will be mentioned 

 in the description of the animal next on our list. 



Still taking the carnivorous animals in their 

 zoological order, we find that the insect-eating carni- 

 vora have several representatives as water trespassers. 

 We will begin with one little animal that is very 

 common in this country, but not nearly so well known 

 as might be imagined from its numbers. The fact is, 

 it is a quick and very little creature, and the sound of 

 a human voice or even a heavy step at some distance 

 will send it to its secure hiding-place. 



Everyone is familiar with the long-nosed Shrew-mice 

 that are found lying dead about the roads in autumn, 

 and used at one time to be objects of superstitious 

 dread to the ignorant. Several members of its family 

 are as much at home in the water as the polar bear, 

 their best representative being the Water shrew 

 (Crossopus fodiens) , which is shown on Cut 7. 



I am tolerably sure that these Iittl6 animals exist 

 on the banks of many streams where their presence is 

 not even suspected. I have found them in places 



