THE SHREWS-DESMAN. 



303 



finds near its haunts. The essentials of its dwelling 

 are that the main conduit shall have several exits, 

 one of which ends in the water, another being higher 

 than the surface of the water and still others termi- 

 nating inland. Such a burrow serves as a sleeping 

 place and asylum to afford the little creature secure 

 shelter from danger. 



In this habitation the Water Shrew usually spends 

 all day in populous localities; but where it need fear 

 no persecution, it is much abroad in the daytime, 

 especially in spring during the breeding season. It 

 rarely swims along the shore, being fond of cross- 

 ing from one bank to the other, if it wishes to go 

 along the stream, it either runs under the bank or 

 on the bottom of the stream beneath the surface of 

 the water. It is an extremely lively, sagacious and 

 nimble creature, and its movements delight the 

 observer in every respect. 



Prey and Foes In proportion to its size, the Water 

 of the Water Shrew is a really formidable beast 

 Shrew. f prey. It not only eats insects of 



all kinds, especially those which live in the water, 

 worms, small Crustacea, Shrimps and similar crea- 

 tures, but also reptiles, fish, birds and small mam- 

 mals. The Mouse which 

 encounters it underground 

 is lost; the newly-fledged 

 Wagtail, which imprudent- 

 ly approaches too close to 

 the water, is pounced upon 

 with the same avidity with v\^ 

 which a Lynx charges at a \v 

 Roe, and is killed in a few 

 moments; the Frog which 

 heedlessly hops past a con- 

 duit, feels itself seized by 

 the hind legs and drawn 

 into the depths in spite of 

 its plaintive cries, and soon 

 has to succumb. Minnows 

 are driven into small creeks 

 and there caught in a pe- 

 culiar manner; the Water 

 Shrew roils the water and 

 watches the entrance of 

 the creek; and whenever 

 one of the small fishes is 

 about to swim past it, the 

 Shrew pounces on and 

 usually catches it. Thus 

 it fulfills the proverb, and 



"fishes in troubled waters." But the Water Shrew 

 attacks not only small creatures, but also animals 

 the weight of which is over sixty times its own; and 

 it may be said that there is no beast of prey which 

 attacks such large quarry, proportionately, as does 

 the Water Shrew. 



The foes of the Water Shrews are nearly the same 

 as those of the Common Shrew. During the day 

 they are usually comparatively safe; but when they 

 venture forth on the bank at night, they frequently 

 fall victims to Owls and Cats; the latter, however, 

 only kill them and then discard the carcasses be- 

 cause of the musky odor which pervades them. 



THE DESMANS. 



The few species of the second sub-family, the 

 Beaver Shrews or Desmans (Myogalince), seem to be 

 intermediate forms between the Shrews and Moles. 

 Their bodies are stouter than those of the other 

 Shrews, the neck is exceedingly short, and as thick 



as the body; the legs are short and the feet have 

 five toes, which are connected with one another by 

 long webs; the tail is of oblong, roundish shape, 

 with its extremity compressed like the blade of an 

 oar, and is ringed and scaly and scantily covered 

 with hair. There are no external ears and the eyes 

 are very small. The most remarkable feature of the 

 animal is its nose, which more nearly resembles a 

 proboscis than that of the Elephant Shrew. It con- 

 sists of two long, thin, confluent, cartilaginous tubes, 

 which may be moved in any direction by two large 

 and three small muscles on each side, and it may 

 subserve the most varied purposes, but more espe- 

 cially that of touching objects. At the base of the 

 tail there is a musk gland, the secretion of which 

 has an extremely powerful odor. 



So far only one species of this sub-family is known, 

 but this species has two south European varieties. 

 One inhabits the Pyrenees and their spurs, the other 

 southern Russia. The first is the species called 

 Almizilero in Spain (Myogale pyrVnaica). It is ten 

 inches long, half of which is included in the tail. 



The Desman or Wychochol {Myogale moschata) is, 

 at the first glance, distinguished by its size; for its 



THE DESMAN. This is an aquatic species of the Insect-Eating animals. It has an elongated snout, a 



long tail and webbed feet and spends a great part of its time in the water. The group in the picture is shown 

 amid appropriate surroundings: one animal disporting itself in the water, and the others on the bank regaling 

 themselves with shell fish. (Alyogale moschata.) ■ 



total length in some instances amounts to nearly 

 seventeen inches. 



The Desman inhabits southeastern Europe, prin- 

 cipally the banks of the Volga and Don, but is also 

 found in Asia, in Buchara. Its habits confine it to 

 the neighborhood of water and if it undertakes short 

 journeys from one river to another, it does so most 

 unwillingly. Wherever it occurs, it is found in large 

 enough numbers to render it quite common. Its 

 life is a peculiar one, resembling that of the Otter. 

 It spends half of its time underground, half in the 

 water. It shows a predilection for stagnant or 

 slowly flowing waters with high banks, in which it 

 can easily dig conduits. Its food consists of worms, 

 Leeches, Water-Snails, Water-Snakes, Water-Moths 

 and the larvae of insects. 



Pallas is the only naturalist who gives us infor- 

 mation about the Desman in the free state and in 

 captivity. It endures confinement but a very short 

 time, rarely surviving more than three davs. It 



