THE STORY OF THE SHREW . 
426 
able, consuming tremendous quantities of raw meat and insects with great 
eagerness, but they are veritable cannibals withal, and will even slay and 
devour their own kind. 
The marsh-shrew from the Rocky Mountains, together with the swimming 
shrew from one of the Aleutian Islands, differ from the other members in hav¬ 
ing their feet provided with fringes of long hair. 
Another variety of the red-toothed family is the short-tailed shrew found 
in the Adirondack Mountains. 
The water-shrew, although unknown in Ireland, is found all over England 
and the south of Scotland. It likewise occurs over a large area of continental 
Europe, from whence it extends eastwards into 1 Asia as far as the Atlas range. 
In the water these graceful little creatures are as much at home as water-voles 
or beavers; and in clear streams they may be observed during the day diving 
or running along the bottom, and turning over the pebbles with their sharp 
noses in search of fresh-water shrimps, which appear to constitute their favor¬ 
ite food. In addition, the water-shrew devours many kinds of water insects or 
their larvae, while it is also probable that it likewise preys on the spawn or fry 
of minnows and other small fish. There are, moreover, several instances on 
record where water-shrews have been found feeding on the flesh of larger 
animals, which they have found dead. The burrows of the water-shrew are 
made along the banks of ponds and streams. 
The largest of the shrews is plentiful in India and is known as the 
musk-shrew, of which there are two varieties, brown and gray. The brown 
musk-shrew is found as a rule in woods (although it will occasionally enter 
buildings), the gray musk-shrew generally haunts human habitations. The 
gray musk-shrew is a common visitor to Indian houses. During the day it 
lies concealed in holes and drains, issuing forth at night to- hunt over the floors 
of rooms for cockroaches and other insects; while thus engaged it utters from 
time to time a short, sharp squeak. In respect of its insect-eating habits, this 
musk-shrew is a benefactor to 1 mankind; but these benefits are accompanied by 
the drawback that various articles may be so impregnated with the musky 
secretion of the animal as to’ become utterly useless. There has, however, been 
much exaggeration as to the penetrating power of this scent, the well-known 
but absurd story that wine or beer becomes impregnated with a musky flavor 
from the circumstance of one of these shrews having run over the outside 
of the bottle containing such liquor, being a case in point, 
