. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE COMMOX SHJlEir. 377 witli from thirty to thirty-two teeth, there being four or tive premolars in the upper and only two iu the lower jaw; with a basal tubercle to the upper inner incisors; with ears of moderate size directed l)ackwards, a long tail, and the feet not fringed with hairs. Our Common Shrew is a pretty little mouse-like creature (its figure will be seen in Plate 12), mea- suring about two inches and three-qunrtei-s in length, with a tail rather more than an inch and a half long. Its fur is generally of a reddish-grey colour
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE COMMOX SHJlEir. 377 witli from thirty to thirty-two teeth, there being four or tive premolars in the upper and only two iu the lower jaw; with a basal tubercle to the upper inner incisors; with ears of moderate size directed l)ackwards, a long tail, and the feet not fringed with hairs. Our Common Shrew is a pretty little mouse-like creature (its figure will be seen in Plate 12), mea- suring about two inches and three-qunrtei-s in length, with a tail rather more than an inch and a half long. Its fur is generally of a reddish-grey colour above, and gi-eyish beneath ; but the colour varies consider- ably, being sometimes lilackish or chestnut above, and tinged with yellow teneath. The fore teeth are of a rich brown colour. The tail is foiu-- sided,* with the angles rounded ofi", and is nearly of equal thickness throughout; it is covered with shoi-t, close, stiffish hail's. Mr. Bell states that the Shrew sometimes occurs sjwtted with white, and that he possesses one specimen " which is beautifully pied, having a broad white band over the loins, which extends all round the ; The food of the Common Shrew consists cliieflj- of insects and worms, . UEXTITION Ol- bUKLW. but it also eats the smaller mollusca, and even the common Slug [ ayreatis), according to Mr. Bell, who says that he ha,s not only found the remains of that animal in its stomach, but has also fed it upon slugs in confuiement. Like its &\\y, the Mole, it is very pugnacious, and two Shrews i-arely come together without a battle, when the weaker one is killed and eaten. The breeding season of the Shrew is in the spring, when the female makes a comfortable nest of soft dry herb;ige in some convenient hole in the ground, and there brings forth from live to seven young ones. Theii- increase is checked to a certam extent by natui-al enemies. Tlius, the Mole is said to kill and eat them when they come in his way ; an
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
