Leci'. VI.] DISTRIBUTION OF THE SHREWS. 161 



they have made themselves almost invisible, through 

 their minuteness and their crepuscular habits — they are 

 evening feeders, evidently, else how does the Owl 

 manage to find so many of them ? 



We have, however, not only to consider the small 

 size of the Shrews, but also their wide geographical 

 distribution. The Shrews proper {Soricidce) have as 

 wide a range as most types, being found in North 

 America and all over the Old Word. Now I am not 

 aware that any members of this group ever travel any 

 distance from their birth-place ; for the most part, 

 undoubtedly, they make but a short range in search 

 after food. Accepting this as truth, how then shall we 

 account for the fact, that although not nomadic in their 

 habits, they are to be found nearly all over the habit- 

 able globe ? Not reckoning a large number of related 

 types, but merely considering the true Shrews [Soricidce), 

 we are brought face to face with the striking fact of 

 their presence in so many places, and these, so widely 

 apart. I say true Shreivs purposely ; and there can 

 be no difficulty in supposing that genera and species 

 difiiering so little from each other, whose variations of 

 size, structure, and habits are so slight and gentle, may 

 have arisen — most probably did arise — from one com- 

 mon stock. Let anyone think how long it would take,, 

 not merely to develop such a number of closely related 

 species and genera, but also to apportion them their lots, 

 in life. The whole world was before the primary 



