350 
THE WATER SHREW. 
applyed or anointed upon the sore of any man, which came by the bite of a greedy and 
ravenous dog, will in very short space make them both whole and sound, so that the tail 
be cut from the Shrew when she is alive, not when she is dead, for then it hath neither good 
operation, nor efficacy in it.” 
It is probable that this virulent hatred of the Shrew, and this groundless terror of its bite, 
was caused by the rank scent which exudes from the creature, and the acknowledged fact that 
the Shrew is frequently seen in the close vicinity of reposing cattle. But as the Shrew is an 
insectivorous animal, it has been well suggested that its habit of frequenting the neighborhood 
of cattle may be in consequence of the flies and other insects which are always found in such 
localities, and on which the Shrew hopes to make a meal. 
It has already been mentioned that the Shrew will eat one of its own species if slain 
in battle, and it is therefore evident that its food does not wholly consist of insects and 
worms, but is occasionally varied by other and more generous diet. One of these little 
creatures has been discovered and killed while grasping a frog by the hind-leg ; and so firmly 
did it maintain its grasp, that even after its death the sharp teeth still clung to the limb of 
the frog. 
Whether the creature intended to eat the frog, or whether it was urged to this act by 
revenge or other motive, is uncertain. 
The nest of the Shrew is not made in the burrow, as might be supposed, but is built in a 
suitable depression in the ground, or in a hole in a bank. It is made of leaves and other 
similar substances, and is entered through a hole at the side. In this nest are produced the 
young Shrews, from five to seven in number, and, as may be imagined, extremely diminutive 
in size. They are generally born in the spring. 
The total length of the adult Shrew is not quite four inches, of which the tail occupies 
very nearly the moiety. The tail is remarkable for being square in form instead of cylindrical, 
and on account of that circumstance it has received from some authors the specific name of 
tetragonurus , or Square-tail. 
Similar to the erd Shrew in general aspect, but easily to be distinguished from that 
animal by its color and other peculiarities, the Water Shrew stands next on our list. 
This little creature was for many years supposed to be identical with the erd Shrew, and 
its aquatic propensities thought to be the ebullition of joyous existence, which was not content 
with disporting itself upon the earth, but must needs seek a further vent for its happiness 
among the waters. 
However, the Water Shrew is now acknowledged to be a separate species, and may be 
distinguished from the erd Shrew by the following characteristics. 
The fur of the Water Shrew is nearly black upon the upper portions of the body, instead 
of the reddish-brown color which tints the fur of the erd Shrew. The under parts of the body 
are beautifully white, and the line of demarcation between the two colors is very distinctly 
drawn. The fur is very soft and silken in texture, and, when the animal is submerged under 
the surface of the water, possesses the useful property of repelling moisture, and preserving 
the body of the animal from the injurious effects of the water. 
When the Water Shrew is engaged in swimming, those parts of the fur which are 
submerged below the surface appear to be studded with an infinite number of tiny silvern 
beadlets, that give to the whole animal a very singular aspect. This phenomenon is pro- 
duced by the minute air-bubbles that cling to the fur, and which exude from the space 
that is left between the hairs. This curious appearance is well shown in our engravings of 
Shrews. 
A further distinction, and one which is more valuable than that which is furnished by the 
color of the fur, is the fringe of stiff white hairs which edges the tail and the toes, and which 
is evidently of great use in the natatory movements of the animal. 
The Water Shrew finds its food in various ways. Sometimes it burrows in the muddy river 
banks, rooting in the soft earth with its elongated nose, and dislodging the larvae of certain 
