8 DR. J. ANDERSON ON MAMMALS, REPTILES, [Jail. 5, 



has recorded it from Batna, 3350 ft., on the high plateaux imme- 

 diately to the north of Biskra, and he has mentioned specimens from 

 the region of the Tunisian Chotts, Feriana and Djebel Bou-Hedma, 

 Tunisia, but none so far from the east as Duirat. 



The female from Biskra I had alive in my possession from the l/th 

 April until the 22nd May. I brought it ahve to Switzerland, but, 

 after it had been eight days in Europe, it died, possibly from eating 

 food unsuited to it. In Algeria, but more especially in Tunis, I 

 experienced no difficulty in obtaining house-flies wherewith to feed 

 it, and on which it throve, but, on my arrival in Europe, these 

 insects were so scarce that I had first to offer it the larvae on which 

 bird-fanciers feed small insectivorous birds. These it ate for a day 

 or two, but, as it afterwards refused to touch them, I had next to 

 try it with small cockroaches. These, however, did not appear to 

 agree with it, and in two days more it was dead. 



It was very expert in catching flies, and as it never attempted to 

 jump ofi" any great height, I used to place it on a table, covered 

 with a white cloth, and to scatter maimed flies over the table. When 

 it once caught sight of a fly it made a rapid rush at it, the mobile 

 proboscis touched the fly, and it disappeared, the Shrew seldom 

 allowing one to escape. The tongue is remarkably long, exceeding 

 the length of the snout, on the under surface of which there is a 

 well-marked groove along which possibly the tongue is projected, 

 assisting in the seizure of the insect prey. In its natural haunts, 

 the proboscis is probably introduced into crevices where insects 

 lurk. 



It was so tame that it was generally placed on the breakfast table, 

 on which it ran perfectly at home, occasionally picking up minute 

 hard crumbs from the outsides of " croissants " or fragments of 

 biscuits. It used also to lap milk freely from a spoon, returning 

 every now and again to do so, and, if it had had its own way, it would 

 have gorged itself with butter, but with disastrous effects, as a small 

 quantity acted on it as a laxative. 



Its great delight while on the table was to get under a covert of 

 some kind, and to run from one shelter to another, now and again 

 darting out suddenly when it saw a fly. It never attempted to bite, 

 and it seemed to enjoy being held in the hands, the heat and cover 

 afforded by them being grateful to it. In this position it would re- 

 main for a long time, making no effort to move. 



Its sense of hearing was acute, more especially to sharp sounds, 

 any shrill call at once startling it, whereas dull sounds it seemed to 

 heed but little. "With regard to its vision, I may mention that while 

 it had a keen eye for small objects in motion, I could wave my arms 

 in front of it, a few feet ofl', without scaring it. 



Its movements were extremely rapid, and in ordinary progression 

 it never jumped, but was projected forwards, so to speak, in short 

 runs, ever and anon stopping abruptly to look about. 



