=The shrews and moles (Insectivora).=--The shrews and moles are all small carnivorous animals, which, because of their size, confine their attacks chiefly to insects. The shrews are small and mouse-like; certain kinds of them lead a semi-aquatic life. There are nearly a score of species in North America. Of the moles, of which there are but few species, the common mole (_Scalops aquaticus_) is well known, while the star-nosed mole (_Condylura cristata_) is recognizable by the peculiar rosette of about twenty cartilaginous rays at the tip of its snout. Moles live underground and have the fore feet wide and shovel-like for digging. The European hedgehogs are members of this order. =The bats (Chiroptera).=--The bats (fig. 153), order Chiroptera, differ from all other mammals in having the fore limbs modified for flight by the elongation of the forearms and especially of four of the fingers, all of which are connected by a thin leathery membrane which includes also the hind feet and usually the tail. Bats are chiefly nocturnal, hanging head downward by their hind claws in caves, hollow trees, or dark rooms through the day. They feed chiefly on insects, although some foreign kinds live on fruits. There are a dozen or more species of bats in North America, the most abundant kinds in the Eastern States being the little brown bat (_Myotis subulatus_), about three inches long with small fox-like face, high slender ears, and a uniform dull olive-brown color, and the red bat (_Lasiurus borealis_), nearly four inches long, covered with long, silky, reddish-brown fur, mostly white at tips of the hairs. [Illustration: FIG. 153.--The hoary bat, _Lasiurus cinereus_. (Photograph from life by J. O. Snyder.)]