74 



BRITISH MAMMALS 



water shrew is decidedly larger than the common shrew. Its 

 body is about 3J in. long, and the tail measures a little over 

 2 in., thus giving a total length of over c^\ in. The colour 

 is blackish-gray above and white beneath, the two tints being 

 rather sharply divided. Sometimes the lower surface of the 

 body (that is to say, the outer edges of the hind and front 

 limbs, the throat and belly) are tinged with russet-red, this 



The Water Shrew (Crossopus fodiens). 



warmer tint nearly always making its appearance on the throat. 

 The upper surface of the tail is black, but the stiff hairs fringing 

 its lower surface are white, and the same occurs with the hairs 

 fringing the outer surface of the feet. When swimming under 

 water the animal has quite a gray appearance, as many minute 

 air bubbles adhere to the points of the hair and impart to the coat 

 a silvery sheen. 



The female is a little smaller than the male. The breeding 



