NATURAL HISTORY. 



Sub-family (7. Lrinacina. (Lat. from Erlnaccus, a Hedgehog.; 



Sonnx. (Lat. a Rat.~) 



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' *' ' ' " ' ' Vy^X^^,' > ^ N^^ 



Aratieus (Lat. a Shrciv), the Shrew Mouse. 



This pretty little animal is very like the common mouse, but 

 is easily distinguished from it by the length of the nose, which 

 is used for grubbing up the earth in search of earth-worms and 

 insects. A peculiar scent is diffused from these animals which 

 prevents the cat from eating them, although she will readily 

 destroy them. 



Many species of shrews are known, inhabiting various coun- 

 tries. There are, besides the common species, the Oared and 

 the Water Shrew, all three inhabiting England. The forma- 

 tion of their hair, as seen under a powerful microscope, is most 

 singular, and differs from the hair of most other animals by 

 suddenly diminishing in thickness, and, after an interval, re- 

 covering its former size. 



* 



This is one of the numerous animals that have suffered by 

 false reports, and have been treated with great cruelty on ac- 

 count of those fables. Rustics formerly believed that the poor 

 little harmless creature paralyzed their cattle by running over 

 them, and that the only way to cure the diseased animal was 

 to place a bough of shrew-ash on the injured part. The 

 shrew-ash was made by boring a hole into an ash-tree, and 

 then plugging up in the hole a living shrew-mouse. By the 

 same process of reasoning a shrew cut in half, and placed on a 

 wound supposed to be caused by its bite, was considered a cer- 

 tain remedy. 



