Shrews.] 



MUSEUM OF ANIMATED NATURE. 



231 



ORDER INSECTIVORA. 



The animals of this order, as the name implies, are 

 specially appointed to check the overwhelming 

 increase of the insect world, to assist in the work of 

 warfare against hordes of beings individually insig- 

 nificant, but which, if permitted to multiply uncon- 

 trolled, would render the labours of many fruitless. 

 Insects, and especially their larvae, with slugs, 

 w'orms, and other creeping things, constitute their 

 food. It is not among the Insectivora that we are 

 to look for the powerful, the iierce, and the terrific. 

 Timid little creatures, they neither alarm us by 

 their presence, nor force themselves upon our 

 notice by their powers or ferocity. Of unobtrusive 

 habits, they elude our cursory observation. They 

 flee from our approach, and they remain in con- 

 cealment till man withdraws from his labours in 

 the evening, and leaves field and woodland to their 

 revels and enjoyments. Hence it is that their 

 manners and instincts are neither very generally 

 not very definitely understood. It is true that the 

 structure of their teeth, of which the molars are 

 crowned with sharp elevations, declare the nature of 

 their food, at least to the eye of the naturalist — and 

 that of many, as the mole, their general organization 

 would lead us to infer certain modes of life ; but 

 beyond these points, the observation of the animals 

 themselves, living and in the enjoyment of freedom, 

 must instruct us, for by this alone can their nicer 

 instinctive peculiarities be ascertained. 



1037, 1038.— The Common Shrew 



(Sorexte tragonurus). Sorex araneus, Bell ; but not 

 of the continental authors. The Shrews (genus 

 Sorex, divided by Duvernoy into three subgenera, 

 viz. Sorex, Hydrosorex, Amphisorex) constitute a 

 numerous group of little animals, still in much con- 

 fusion, partly owing to the difficulty of determining 

 the species, and partly to the contrary specific titles 

 which have been given to many of the European 

 species by British and continental naturalists ; the 

 latter points, indeed, have been recently cleared up 

 by the Rev. L. Jenyns, who has also added some 

 new species to the British list. 



In the genus Sorex, including the subgenera, the 



o 

 dentition is as follows : — Middle incisors, - ; lateral 



3 3 4 4 



incisors, or false molars fin Sorex), or ; 



v 3—3 4 — 4 



5 5 4 4 



(in Hydrosorex), - ; (in Amphisorex), ; 



v - '■ 2 2 2 2 



canines, ; molars, . The true or middle 



'0— ' 3—3 



incisors are much produced ; the upper ones are 

 curved and notched at the base ; the lower ones are 

 almost horizontal, with a smooth edge in Sorex, a 

 denticulated edge in Hydrosorex, and a smooth 

 edge; but in this subgenus the two first false 

 molars above are of equal size, while in Sorex they 

 diminish rapidly in size from the first to the last. 

 Fig. 1039 represents the dentition of a species of 

 shrew taken in the Mauritius, six times larger than 

 nature. 



The Shrews may be known by their long, taper, 

 moveable snout, their velvety fur, and their ex- 

 tremely minute eyes, almost hidden in the surround- 

 ing hairs; the ears are small and close; the tail 

 moderately long, and a musky odour is exhaled 

 from small glandular orifices, surrounded by stiff 

 close hairs, situated on the sides of the body. This 

 odour renders the shrews distasteful to the cat 

 (though the latter readily destroys them), but not 

 to weasels, hawks, or owls, which are great enemies 

 to these little nocturnal insectivora. 



The common shrew is of a reddish mouse-colour, 

 paler beneath; the tail is quadrangular in adults, 

 rather shorter than the body, and not ciliated 

 beneath. Length of head and body, two inches 

 seven lines ; of the tail, one inch ten lines. 



This little animal is common in our island, fre- 

 quenting tufted banks, hedge rows,thickets,gardens, 

 farm-yards, &e.,and feeding on worms, and insects, 

 caterpillars, &c, after which it grubs with its long 

 pointed snout among the close herbage or under 

 the soft loose soil. It is very impatient of hunger, 

 and extremely pugnacious, two seldom meeting 

 without engaging in combat ; and if two be con- 

 fined together in a box, the weaker falls a prey to 

 the stronger, and is soon partially devoured. Many 

 are killed and eaten by the mole, and in August 

 numbers are often found dead in the lanes, and 

 pathways across the fields, but to what cause their 

 destruction is owing, at the season in question, is 

 not very apparent. As was the case with the 

 hedgehog and some other animals, superstition and 

 ignorance have attributed the most baneful pro- 

 perties to the shrew ; it was supposed by our an- 

 cestors to paralyze the. limbs of cattle by merely 

 creeping over them, afflicting them with excruci- 

 ating torments, and to poison them by its bite. 

 Aristotle, Pliny, and Agricola also attribute poi- 



sonous effects to the bite of the shrew, which, as 

 they assert, produces tumours and ulcerations. Agri- 

 cola states that the Latins called the animal mus 

 araneus from its injecting venom into the wound it 

 makes, as does the spider (aranea), and he notices the 

 characters of the teeth, and quadrifid figure of the 

 wound they inflict, adding that in warm regions the 

 wound is generally pestiferous, but not in cold 

 climates: his remedial prescription is to place the 

 body of the shrew cut asunder on the injured part. 

 Among our ancestors the remedies were to make 

 the person or animal pass through the arch of a 

 bramble rooted at both ends, or to apply to the 

 limbs of suffering cattle the twigs or leaves of a 

 shrew-ash, that is an ash into the trunk of which a 

 deep hole had been bored, and a poor devoted 

 shrew plugged in alive. 



The voice of the shrew is a shrill, feeble, chirring 

 cry, which may be often heard when the animal 

 is unseen : we have known persons whose ears were 

 unable to catch it, however attentively they have 

 listened, though of other tones they were perfectly 

 susceptible. 



The shrew makes long superficial burrows in 

 banks and among the roots of trees and brushwood ; 

 the female makes a nest in her retreat of soft 

 herbage, with an aperture at the sides ; she breeds 

 in the spring, producing from five to seven young. 



1040. — Three British Shrews. 



This plate represents three British Shrews : a, the 

 Oared Shrew (Sorex remifer, Geoff. ; Sorex ciliatus, 

 Sowerby) ; b, the Water-Shrew (Sorex fodiens, 

 Gmelin, not of Duvernoy nor of modern continental 

 authors; Sorex bicolor, Shaw) ; and c, the Common 

 Shrew which we have described (Figs. 1037 and 

 1038). 



The water-shrew is nearly black above, white be- 

 neath, the colours being abruptly separated ; the 

 sides of the feet and the under surface of the tail 

 are ciliated or fringed with long, stiff, white hairs. 

 Length of head and body, ihree inches and three 

 lines ; of the tail, two inches one line. 



This elegant little animal is aquatic in its habits, 

 frequenting clear fresh-water ditches and brooks, 

 in the banks of which it makes extensive burrows ; 

 it swims and dives with great address, the sides 

 being spread out, the belly flattened, and the tail 

 extended as a rudder. When diving, the black 

 velvety coat of the animal appears as if beautifully 

 silvered, from the innumerable bubbles of air that 

 cover it. These are pressed out of the fur, which 

 repels the water, the animal being quite dry when 

 it emerges. It has the power of completely closing 

 the orifices of the ears, so as to exclude the 

 water while beneath the surface. The food of 

 the water-shrew consists of insects, the larvas of 

 ephemerae, and perhaps the ova of fishes ; in quest 

 of these it swims and dives or grubs in the mud with 

 its snout. These little water-shrews form colonies 

 in certain spots, making runs or tracks along the 

 banks, leading from their subterranean dwellings 

 to the water ; when two meet in these, or while 

 swimming about, they utter their shrill, feeble, 

 querulous cry, perhaps a token of recognition. The 

 water-shrew, though only recognised as a native of 

 our island within the last few years, is not uncom- 

 mon in most of our counties, and has been captured 

 in Scotland and Devonshire. 



The oared shrew is closely allied to the water- 

 shrew, and appears to have the same aquatic habits. 

 The tail is quadrangular, and compressed towards 

 the apex, and is ciliated on the under surface ; the 

 feet are strongly ciliated ; the body is black above, 

 greyish black below ; the throat is of a yellowish co- 

 lour. It is of about the size of the former. Fig. 1U41 

 represents the under surface of the hinder feet of — 

 a, the common shrew ; b, the water-shrew ; c, the 

 oared shrew. 



1042. — The Desman 



(My gale moschata). Biesamratze of the Germans; 

 Wychozol of the Russians. The genus Mygale, 

 Cuv. (Myogalla, Fischer; Castor moschatus, Linn.), 

 presents us with the following - dental characters : — 



2 . 0—0 , 10—10 



Incisors, - ; canines, - — - ; molars, — - — — ; of 



8 O — 7 — 7 



the molars the first seven on each side above, and 

 the first four below, are false; between the two 

 large incisors below, are two minute teeth, and the 

 two upper incisors are flattened and triangular. 

 See Fig. 1043 for the teeth of the upper-jaw. In 

 these animals the snout is elongated into a flexible 

 proboscis furrowed down the middle, which they 

 are incessantly turning about. ; the tail is long, thick, 

 scaly, and conpressed at the sides; the eyes are 

 very small; external ears wanting: the fur is full 

 deep, soft, and glossy, like that of the beaver; the 

 feet are broad and completely webbed, toes five in 

 number. Two species are known, both aquatic in 

 their habits : the one is the desman or musk-rat of 

 Russia ; the other, a smaller species, is found in the 

 Pyrenees. 



The desman measures upwards of ten inches in 

 the length of the head and body, that of the tail 

 being seven (from specimen in Paris Museum). 

 This beaver-like aquatic shrew is abundant in the 

 lakes and rivers of Southern Russia, feeding on 

 worms, aquatic insects, fish, and especially leeches, 

 which it searches for in the mud at the bottom of 

 the water with its long flexible snout. Its burrow 

 is deeply hollowed out in steep overhanging banks, 

 the entrance being below the level of the water, 

 whence it rises gradually, so as never to be filled 

 during the highest floods. The desman seldom 

 comes on shore voluntarily, but is often captured in 

 the nets of the fishermen ; and it is frequently seen 

 swimming about or diving in pursuit of prey. It 

 exhales a strong musky odour, the secretion of small 

 glandular follicles at the root of the tail; and this 

 flavour of musk it communicates to pikes and other 

 fishes which prey upon it, rendering their flesh dis- 

 gusting. 



1044. — The Cape Eeephant-Shrew 



(Macroscelides typicus). Allied to the shrews are 

 some little animals peculiar to Africa, constituting 

 the genus Macroscelides of Dr. A. Smith. They are 

 called elephant-mice or elephant-shrews, from the 

 proboscis-hke form of the snout ; but the scientific 

 name bears reference to the jerboa-like elongation 

 of the hinder-limbs. The dentition is as follows •— 



2 2 



Incisors, —^ ; false molars (called canines by Dr. 



Smith), _; molars, -Z.. Fig. 1045 shows the 



skull and teeth of Macroscelides: a, upper surface 

 of the skull, natural size; 6, profile; c, lower jaw 



d, under surface of the skull, twice the natural size • 



e, the lower jaw, twice the natural size. The nostrils 

 are at the apex of the proboscis ; the eyes are- 

 moderate ; the ears large and rounded; the tail* 

 rather long, and like that of a mouse. Feet five-' 

 toed. The Cape elephant-shrew (Macroscelides. 

 typicus) is the Sorex araneus maximus of Petever 

 The lor is soft and long; the general colour is red- 

 dish-brown, clouded on the back with a darker tint 

 the under surface white : the ears nearly naked ; 

 whiskers long : length of head and body, three inches 

 and three-quarters; of tail, three inches and a 

 quarter. 



_ This curious animal inhabits open plains, and lives . 

 in burrows under ground, the passage to which runs 

 lor some distance almost perpendicularly down- 

 wards. During the day it seeks its food, and may 

 be seen basking in the heat of the sun, sitting erect 

 on its hinder legs in the full glare of the rays. 

 When disturbed, it flies immediately to its subterra- 

 nean retreat, and with such velocity, that it is im- 

 possible to make out its form or general appearance 

 as it skims along. It feeds upon insects. Six or 

 seven species are known, peculiar to South Africa- 

 and one a native of Algiers. 



1046. — The SoiENODoif 

 (Solenodon paradoxus). The genus Solenodon of 

 Brandt ('Mem. del'Acad. Imperiale des Sciences de 

 St. Petersbourg tome ii., livr. 3eme, 1833) contains, 

 as far as yet known, only one species, an animal 

 peculiar to Hayti, where it is known under the 

 name of Agouta. Allied in many respects to the 

 genera Sorex and Mygale, in the character of the 

 ears the fur, and the tail it resembles the opossums 

 (Didelphis). Its dentition approximates the most 

 nearly to that of Mygale. In size the Solenodon ex- 

 ceeds a rat .; its snout is lengthened into a slender 

 naked proboscis, at the tip of which are the nos- 

 trils with a furrow between them; the ears are 

 moderate and rounded ; the fur is coarse and lon^ 

 and of a yellowish red; from the lips and cheeks 

 proceed slender whiskers of great length; the 

 limbs are stout ; the toes, five on each foot, armed 

 with large hooked claws ; the tail is long, rat-like 

 and scaly, being destitute of hairs. Dentition as 



follows :— Incisors, ? 3 false molars, §—• true 

 o 6 — 6 



O Q 



molars ' s^S' The tvvo midd]e incisors of the upper 

 jaw are remarkable for their size and the distance 

 between them and the succeeding incisors; they 

 are compressed, pointed, and perpendicular.' t^ 

 zygomatic arch is incomplete, as in the shrews 

 (SoreMp, the Tanrecs (Centetes), the Echinops & c 

 Fig. 1047 represents the skull and dentition of the 

 solenodon: a, skull of solenodon (profile)- b seen 

 from above; c, seen from below; d, mandible or 

 lower jaw ; e, anterior part of the intermaxillary 

 bone, with the two anterior incisor teeth • f anterior 

 surface of an anterior upper incisor tooth -'o ante 

 nor parts of the mandible, with the four anterior 

 incisor teeth; Ii, he crown of a second or middle 

 incisor tooth of the mandible, seen on its internal 

 surface, anu exhibiting its triangular canal. The 

 foregoing figures are nearly of the natural size. 

 i, teeth of the upper jaw seen laterally; i, 1, na t. 



