152 SORICID^. 



saw an animal of the present species emerge from the 

 shavings, and, scampering across a large sheet of brown 

 paper, pass under the dried body of a barn-door fowl, 

 which was lying in a corner. On lifting up the fowl 

 by the legs, the Shrew made its escape from a hole in 

 the abdomen, and it was found on examination that 

 nearly all the internal parts, in a half dried and half de- 

 composed state, had been devoured, though whether 

 wholly by the Shrew or in part by Mice we are unable 

 to state. 



Another equally well authenticated and interesting 

 notice of its flesh-consuming habits may with advantage 

 be introduced here. A brother of one of the authors 

 of the present work, having one night placed a steel trap 

 for vermin, visited it the following morning ; and on 

 drawing near, saw that it contained a full-grown Rat, on 

 which was perched a small black object, which proved on 

 closer approach to be a Water Shrew. 



The Kat was dead, and the Shrew was devouring it. 

 Although the slender snout and the projecting and com- 

 paratively weak teeth of the Shrew were but ill-adapted, 

 one would have thought, for devouring prey of the size 

 of a full-grown Rat, yet the animal had succeeded in 

 making a small hole through the skin ; and this it was 

 most energetically employed, by means of both teeth and 

 claws, in enlarging. So ferocious were it actions, that it 

 might very properly be said to be fighting the Rat ; and so 

 intent was it on its work, as to suffer itself to be captured 

 by the observer, who laid the loading-rod of his gun 

 across its back. We have once, and once only, seen it at 

 Selborne. It was hunting in the most active and curious 

 manner at the bottom of a small roadside stream ; and as 

 its body was much flattened, the white of the belly 

 projected in a narrow border, edging the deep black of 



