302 



THE INSECT-EATING ANIMALS. 



and a rather long tail, and its habits are very similar to those 

 of the common species of Europe and Asia. 



The Marsh Shrew [Sorex J>alustris) takes the place of the 

 Water Shrew in the United States, from the Rocky Mountains 

 east to the Atlantic. Its toes have a fringe of stiff hairs; the 

 ears are moderately well developed; the thirty-two teeth are of 

 a brownish red tint; the tail is equal in length to the head and 

 body together. It is as aquatic in its habits as the Water Shrew 

 of Europe, and Professor Cope observed it swimming in a lake 

 in New Hampshire forty feet from the bank. Besides these 

 there are other species of Long-tailed Shrews, among which 

 Sorex bendiri is the largest known species of the Shrew fam- 

 ily, while another, Sorex personata, is nearly as small as the 

 Etruscan Shrew. 



The Mole-Shrew ^^ eastern American species is the Mole- 

 £ "i Shrew (Blarina brevicaudd) which derives 



Soecies '** Latin name from its extremely short tail. 



" ' This animal has very small ears, which are 



concealed in the fur. Dr. Merriam, who observed the Mole- 

 Shrew in the Adirondack region says: "The rigors of our 

 northern winters seem to have no effect in diminishing its 

 activity, for it scampers about on the snow during the severest 

 weather, and I have known it to be out when the thermometer 

 indicated a temperature of twenty degrees Fahrenheit. It 

 makes long journeys over the snow, burrowing down whenever 

 it comes to an elevation that denotes the presence of a log or 

 stump, and I am inclined to believe that at this season it must 

 feed largely upon the chrysalides and larvae of insects that are 

 always found in such places." Besides their insectivorous 

 food these animals are also said to eat beech nuts. 



THE ETBUSCAN SHBEW. Except one species of Bat, this Shrew is the smallest of known mammals. 



Hbw small it is may be seen from this picture, which shows the animal in its full natural size. Itis found princi- 

 pally in southern Europe, and has all the sanguinary instincts of its race, (Crocidura suaveolens.) 



Characteristics The Field Shrews {Crocidura) have 

 of the Field from twenty-eight to thirty white 

 Shrews. teeth. In other respects they cor- 

 respond with the Common Shrew to a great extent. 



The Domestic Shrew {Crocidura araiie a) is a small 

 creature whose total length is about four and one- 

 half inches. It is of brownish gray color above, 

 merging into a lighter tint beneath, without a sharp 

 line of demarcation; and the lips and feet are brown- 

 ish white. 



From northeastern Africa the Domestic Shrew 

 spreads over southern, western and central Europe 

 as far as northern Russia; it is also found in central 

 Asia and northeastern Siberia, but seems to be 

 absent in England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and 

 Holland. According to Blasius, it is to a certain 

 extent confined to fields and gardens, preferring 

 them to forests. On the outskirts of forests it is 

 occasionally encountered. None of its kin become 

 so easily accustomed to human beings, and none 

 enter buildings, especially stables and barns, so fre- 



quently as this species. Outdoors in the morning 

 and evening hours it preys on small animals of all 

 kinds, ranging from the smaller mammals down to 

 worms; in the house it forages on animal matter, and 

 oily substances. Its habits are nearly identical with 

 those of the Common Shrew. 



The Etruscan Another species, possessing thirty 

 Shrew, a Tiny teeth, the Etruscan Shrew [Croci- 

 Creature. dura suaveolens, Crocidura etrusca), 

 deserves mention for the fact that, with the exception 

 of one species of Bat, it is the smallest of all known 

 mammals. Its total length is two and one-half 

 inches, one inch of this being included in the tail. 

 The coloring of the velvety fur is a light brownish 

 or reddish gray tint, the tail is brownish above, 

 lighter beneath; the muzzle and paws are flesh-col- 

 ored, the feet show whitish hair; older individuals 

 look lighter and have a russet hue, while the younger 

 ones are darker and more of a grayish tint. The 

 relatively very large ear-conch is worth notice. 



The Etruscan Shrew occurs in nearly all countries 

 surrounding the Mediterranean and Black Sea. It 

 has been found in northern Africa, southern France, 

 Italy and the Crimea. Its habits are similar to those 



of its kind already men- 

 tioned. 



The Water Of the other 

 Shrew and its Shrews we 

 Habits. will mention 

 ^S^ only one more species, the 

 Water Shrew {Crossopus 

 fodiens). It differs from its 

 relatives principally in hav- 

 ing the under surface of its 

 toes edged with stiff, stout 

 i and rather long hairs, tak- 

 ing the place of webs. 



It seems that the Water 

 Shrew is distributed over 

 nearly all Europe and part 

 of Asia, and is found in 

 abundance in all congenial 

 places. To the north its 

 range is bounded by Eng- 

 land and the country sur- 

 rounding the Baltic Sea; 

 its southern boundaries are 

 Spain and Italy. It is found 

 at considerable altitudes, in 

 the Alps at about 6,000 feet 



above §ea-level. It delights in the waters of moun- 

 tainous countries, especially those which remain un- 

 frozen in the most intensely cold weather, as' such 

 streams are indispensable for its unobstructed travel 

 in winter. Small rivers of mountainous, wooded 

 regions, having sandy or pebbly beds, fringed by 

 trees and bordered by gardens and meadows, seem 

 to be its favorite haunts. It finds equal pleasure, 

 however, in ponds the water of which is clear and 

 covered with duck-weed, and sometimes astonish- 

 ingly large numbers of the species congregate in 

 such situations. Frequently it is found in villages, 

 being attracted by the food to be obtained in prox- 

 imity to mills, granaries, etc. Its range is not en- 

 tirely confined to water, however, but it runs oyer 

 the meadows lying on the banks of streams, creeping 

 under hay-stacks, entering sheds and stables, and 

 even houses, and sometimes frequents fields situated 

 far away from the water. In porous soil near the 

 water it digs conduits for itself, but it prefers to 

 make use of the runs of Mice and Moles, which it 



