ORDER IV. INSECTIVORA. 47 



tul)es, forming a kind of proboscis, which is very sensitive, and alwavs in 

 motion. Tiio feet are peiiUuldftijlas, and those of the liinder linilis wehhed. 

 The Desman resides near watery places, digs subterranean galleries like the 

 INIole, extending from beneath the water, but rising farther on, so as never 

 entirely to fill. It is an aquatic animal, swims with the greatest case, 

 remains long below seeking for leeches and insects, and never voluntarily 

 comes ashore, but is often taken in the nets of fishermen. It emits a strong 

 odor of musk. 



The INIoscovitc Desman (3/. moxcoviticn) has all the feet webbed ; equals 

 or surpasses the rat in size ; constructs galleries of great length ; has very 

 small eyes, and is of a brown color above, white beneath. In the water 

 its progression is easy and rapid, but difficult and slow on the land. It 

 inhabits the region south of the Volga. There is a European species found 

 in France, but we have not been able to learn anything of its habits. 



Genus Souex — -Tiie Shrews. Belonging to this genus are several spe- 

 cies of very small animals, some of them, indeed, being the most diminutive 

 of the Manunalian family. They live in holes dug by themselves, seldom 

 appearing abroad, except towards night. They have short, rounded ears ; 

 eyes, small ; toes, weak ; tail, compressed towards the end, or tetragonal. 

 They feed on worms and insects. 



/Sorex tctragoitiirits — Common Slirew. This animal is al)Out two 

 inches in length ; gray above, paler below ; has the tail shorter than the 

 body, and square ; inhabits Eiu-ope ; in the summer dwells in holes, and 

 in winter nestles under haystacks. It is common in England and Scotland, 

 where the absurd notion prevails among farmers, that should a Shi'ew run 

 over the leg of a horse or cow while reposing among the grass, it will cause 

 lameness, on which account they invariably kill it when opportunity offers. 

 On the contrary, however, it is a very inoffensive creature, lixing exclusively 

 on insects, and deserves to be protected rather than dcstroj'cd. A singular 

 mortality occurs among this species in the summer, large numbers of them 

 being often found dead, the cause of which has never been ascertained. 

 Captivity and confinement appear to increase their combative propensities ; 

 for if two are confined in a box together, the stronger will soon kill and de- 

 vour the weaker. Another species is S. remifor — the Oared Shrew. The 

 animals of this species are black aliove, blackish-gray beneath ; the colors 

 blended on the sides ; feet and tails ciliated with bristles. Their length, 

 including the tail, is five mehcs and a quarter. Nothing is known of the 

 habits of this species, bat the conformation of the feet woidd indicate a 

 similarity in this respect to the following. 



/S. fodicn-s — the Water Shrew. This animal is distinguished by a 

 blackish-brown color, white beneath ; feet and tail ciliated with bristles. 



