2 INSECTIVORA 



Each family consists of a highly specialised and ancient 

 group, with no near allies of any sort in Britain. 



The semi-blind, burrowing Mole, its whole frame adapted for 

 a life spent in pursuit of earthworms ; the comparatively inactive 

 Hedgehog, hunting its humble prey in the midst of enemies, 

 and relying for its own safety on the passive defence of a coat 

 of spines ; and the shrews, always lively and alert whether on 

 land or water — are each unique types in the British fauna. The 

 shrew and the Mole are active throughout the year, whereas the 

 Hedgehog undergoes at least a partial hibernation during the 

 colder months. 



The Pygmy Shrew is remarkable for being the smallest non- 

 volant British mammal, and in this respect it has few rivals, 

 and none outside its own order, throughout the world. 



Shrews, hedgehogs, and moles are well known in literature, 

 and stand for well-defined and characteristic types in the public 

 mind. 



Besides the genera mentioned above as British, there are 

 found in continental Europe, the white-toothed shrews of the 

 sub-family Crocidurincs, which are numerous in species and 

 widely distributed in Asia and Africa. The desmans (genus 

 Desmana, Goldenstadt, 1777, ante-dating Mygale, G. Cuvier, 

 1800, and Galemys, Kaup, 1829), which were formerly more 

 widely distributed and included Britain in their range, are 

 now in Europe confined to southern Russia, with the Pyrenees 

 and the Iberian Peninsula, where there are at least two species. 

 They are inhabitants of streams and rivers, and their habits 

 are said to resemble those of the water rats, with the 

 difference that they feed, not on vegetable matter, but on 

 invertebrates. 



The order insectivora is extremely old, being of pre-Pliocene 

 age, both in Europe and America. Further details will be 

 found under the several genera and species. 



