38 CURIOUS HOMES AND THEIR TENANTS. 



expected, aided by his powerful webbed feet, excels 

 both the beaver and the muskrat in the rapidity and 

 force, both in swimming and diving, of his progress 

 through the water. 



The most curious part of the desman is his mov- 

 able trunk. It is, it is true, shorter in proportion to 

 the size of the animal than that of an elephant's, but 

 it seems to be used much in the same way and for 

 the same purpose. 



"It is brought actively into play," says Professor 

 Dallas, "in the search for provisions. It is turned 

 and twisted in various directions, touching the differ- 

 ent objects that come in its way, which it seizes and 

 conveys to its mouth after the same fashion as does 

 the trunk of an elephant. The animal is said to fre- 

 quently put its ridiculous-looking trunk in its mouth 

 and then quack like a duck," but why it commits this 

 absurdity is not stated. So strongly is the desman 

 flavored with the nmsky odor that gives it its popular 

 name, that it is not only uneatable itself, but commu- 

 nicates a like smell and flavor to fish that sometimes 

 devour it. The desman does not eat vegetable sub- 

 stances, but lives entirely upon insects. 



