ORDER OF INSECTIVORA. 
In this order are collected a certain number of Mammalia, 
which, with the general form of Hodents, have the character of 
feeding almost exclusively on insects. In this respect they 
resemble, as we will see hereafter, the Cheiroptera. Their dental 
system is constituted for this special mode of alimentation ; they 
have molars studded with conical points, and the other teeth 
(canines and incisors) usually very sharp. 
With regard to their principal external characteristics, it may 
be mentioned that they are of small size, with four limbs fur- 
nished with nails, and which are adapted for walking, swim- 
ming, and digging. They have the mammae underneath the 
belly, and in progression place the entire sole of the foot on 
the ground. Their intelligence is feebly developed, and scarcely 
permits their being domesticated. 
The habits of the Insectivora are extremely varied, a circum- 
stance that should not surprise us when we consider the diversity 
in the conformation of their organs of locomotion. Some, for 
instance, like the Hedgehog, seek their food on the ground ; 
while others, like the Tupaia, hunt for it on trees. The Moles, 
on the contrary, find their subsistence deep in the soil, and lead 
an entirely subterranean existence ; finally, the Desmans and 
some species of Shrew Mice are essentially aquatic. Several of 
these animals become torpid when the temperature is low, though 
it appears that torpor has also been observed in warm latitudes 
without such a cause. 
The Insectivora are encountered in all parts of the world except 
Australia, where they are represented by the Opossums, and other 
Marsupials. America is less abundantly provided with them than 
the Old World. 
