. Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammals; Animal behavior. THE SHRE JI'S—DESMAN. 303 finds near its haunts. The essentials of its dwelling are that the main conduit shall have several exits, one of which ends in the water, another being higher than the surface of the water and still others termi- nating inland. Such a burrow serves as a sleeping place and asylum to afford the little creature secure shelter from danger. In this habitation the Water Shrew usually spends all day in populous localities; but where it nee
. Brehm's Life of animals : a complete natural history for popular home instruction and for the use of schools. Mammals; Animal behavior. THE SHRE JI'S—DESMAN. 303 finds near its haunts. The essentials of its dwelling are that the main conduit shall have several exits, one of which ends in the water, another being higher than the surface of the water and still others termi- nating inland. Such a burrow serves as a sleeping place and asylum to afford the little creature secure shelter from danger. In this habitation the Water Shrew usually spends all day in populous localities; but where it need fear no persecution, it is much abroad in the daytime, especially in spring during the breeding season. It rarely swims along the shore, being fond of cross- ing from one bank to the other. If it wishes to go along the stream, it either runs under the bank or on the bottom of the stream beneath the surface of the water. It is an extremely lively, sagacious and nimble creature, and its movements delight the observer in every respect. Prey and Foes In proportion to its size, the Water of the Water Shrew is a really formidable beast Shrew. 0f prey. It not only eats insects of all kinds, especially those which live in the water, worms, small Crustacea, Shrimps and similar crea- tures, but also reptiles, fish, birds and small mam- mals. The Mouse which encounters it underground is lost; the newly-fledged Wagtail, which imprudent- ly approaches too close to the water, is pounced upon with the same avidity with which a Lynx charges at a Roe, and is killed in a few moments; the Frog which heedlessly hops past a con- duit, feels itself seized by the hind legs and drawn into the depths in spite of its plaintive cries, and soon has to succumb. Minnows are driven into small creeks and there caught in a pe- culiar manner; the Water Shrew roils the water and watches the entrance of the creek; and whenever one of the small fishes is about to swim past it, the Shrew pounces on and usually
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmammals, bookyear1895
