1 94 INSECTIVORA. 



the faeces. In the months of November, December, January, February, 

 and March, there is no food found in the stomach ; but in the last 

 month there is found in the stomach, and lining it, something like 

 cream, but it is only mucus. In the intestines in all those months 

 there is found a substance exactly similar to the meconium in foetuses, 

 and this in larger quantities the later in the "winter. It does not fill 

 the intestines regularly, but is interrupted. The rectum was filled with 

 or contained a greenish substance. From the above appearance it 

 would seem that animals that do not eat in the winter months become 

 like the animals in the womb 1 . 



The bladder of urine was full in all of them. 



Of the Fat of the Hedge-hog at different Seasons. — As hedge-hogs 

 lie dormant through the cold months without eating, I examined in 

 what condition they were in the beginning of winter, and towards 

 the latter end. In the month of October the hedge-hogs are very fat ; 

 there is a very thick layer of fat immediately under the skin, every- 

 where, excepting the head and legs. The mesentery and epiploon, 

 although fat, were not loaded. The kidneys lay in a bed of fat. In the 

 month of February the fat immediately under the skin was very thin 

 and of a yellow colour, and there was very little fat in the mesen- 

 tery and epiploon ; also little about the kidneys : but this varies. 



The Black-Shrew [Hydrosorex fodiens 2 ]. 



It is rather smaller than a mouse, of a black- grey, or a very dark 

 iron-grey colour ; its belly is whitish, the tips of the hair being white 

 there. Tbe hair is like that of a mole. It has a very projecting nose. 

 The lips do not hide the teeth, especially in the fore-part, and more so 

 in the lower jaw. It has whiskers. The eyes are very small : the 

 opening of the ears is large : the projecting ear is round, and rises 

 about as high as the hair ; it is covered with pretty long hair both 

 externally and internally, which is rather lighter in colour [than that 

 on the bead]. 



The tail is short, and the hair is short upon it. Its feet are like 

 those of a mouse. There is no caecum. The testes pass easily in and 

 out of the abdomen. The orifice of the prepuce is pretty near to the 

 verge of the anus. I shoidd suspect it is a retromingent. 



The great difference between the shrew and the mole is in the fore- 

 feet : in the mole they are intended for a greater extent of progressive 



1 [This philosophic comparison is omitted by Home in his transcript of the above 

 remarks, Comp. Anat. i. p. 435, where he quotes them as " made by Mr. Hunter."] 



2 [The skull of this animal is No. 2399, Osteol. Series.] 



