THE COMMON SHREW 107 



kind (including, as suggested above, a clap of thunder, or the 

 snapping of a trap, which have no effect on larger animals) may 

 be instantly fatal to these frail little creatures, leaving them no 

 time to hide. Mr Cocks therefore thinks that the fatality may 

 be caused by a multitude of different agencies, not one or other 

 only of those already mentioned. Dead shrews are undoubtedly 

 found now and then bearing the tolerably obvious marks of the 

 beak of an owl ; the singles of an owl, on catching so small an 

 animal, may very often encircle the body without making any 

 visible holes, but when the prey has been transferred to the 

 bird's beak, the nip is left tolerably plain. If an owl saw any 

 small rodent, it would perhaps drop the insectivore to pursue 

 the more choice morsel. 



Again, in the case of other animals dying in the open, as 

 they "keep " for some time (depending of course on the species, 

 the temperature, and the degree of dampness), there is a chance 

 of the body being found and eaten or dragged into concealment, 

 by some meat-eating mammal or bird, to which, even when 

 "high," they are palatable. But a shrew, as previously stated, 

 almost immediately becomes so unpleasantly putrid, that no 

 animal, unless exceptionally hungry, cares to touch it. 



Everyone has met with cases where rabbits and rats are 

 found surviving, and in a fair way to recover from, extremely 

 severe wounds ; for instance, it is nothing uncommon to find a 

 rat suffering from a suppurating wound caused by a stab 

 from a pitchfork. Among many other cases may be mentioned 

 a rabbit quite recently killed near Henley-on-Thames during 

 the cutting of a field of oats, which had evidently, several days 

 previously, lost three of its legs by the knives of a binder. 

 It was quite lively, and not at all mecfning to die, but there is 

 no doubt that a far less proportionate injury would be instantly 

 fatal to shrews. 



Further light is undoubtedly thrown on the whole matter 

 by the studies of Mr Adams, who concludes that the 

 entire adult shrew population perishes each autumn. The 

 evidence in support of this conclusion, which has recently 

 been published, is based on examination of specimens through- 

 out the year, and is so strong as to be nearly incontrovertible. 

 It has further been supported by numerous more recent, and 



