102 THE OARED SHREW. 
cdged with even longer and stiffer hairs than those which decorate the same 
parts in the Water Shrew. 
As may be imagined from this structure, the habits of the animal are 
aquatic in their nature, and its manners are so closely similar to those of the 
preceding species, that it may easily be mistaken for that animal, when seen 
- at a little distance, so as to render the difference in size less cunspicuous, and 
the colour of the under portions of the body less apparent. 
It has already been stated that the back of the Water Shrew is of a 
velvety black, and the abdomen and under portions of the body of a beautiful 
and clearly defined white. In the Oared Shrew, however, the black is pro- 
fusely sprinkled with white hairs, and the fur of the abdomen and flanks is 
blackish grey instead of pure white. The middle of the abdomen, however, 
together with that of the throat, is strongly tinged with yellow: the throat 
being more of an ashy yellow than the abdomen. 
Although not so common as the Erd and the Water Shrew, it is of more 
OARED SHREW, OR BLACK WATER SHREW. —(Crossopus ciliatus.) 
frequent occurrence than is generally supposed, and has been found in many 
parts of England where it was formerly supposed to be wanting. The total. 
length of the Oared Shrew is about five inches and a quarter, the head andi 
body measuring rather more than three inches, and the tail being about two 
inches in length. Its nose is not quite so sharp or narrow as that of the 
Water Shrew, and the ears are decorated with a slight fringe of white hair. 
The latter third of the tail is flattened, as if for swimming, while the remain- 
ing two-thirds are nearly cvlindrical, but are slightly squared, as has been 
already mentioned of the common Shrew. 
The elongation of the nose, which has already been noticed in the Tupaias 
of Sumatra, seems to have reached the utmost limit in those curious inhabit- 
ants of the Cape that are called, from their elephantine elongation of nose, 
the ELEPHANT SHREWS. Several species of Elephant Shrews are known 
to exist, all of which, with one exception, are inhabitants of Southern Africa. 
The solitary exception, Macroscelides Roretti, is found in Algeria, 
