FEB., 1912. MAMMALS OF ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN CORY. 407 



ravening beast feygning it selfe to be gentle and tame, but being touched 

 it biteth deepe, and poisoneth deadly. It beareth a cruell minde, de- 

 siring to hurt anything neither is there any creature that it loveth, or 

 it loveth him, because it is feared of all. The Cats as we have said 

 do hunt it, and kill it, but they eat not them." 



Shrews were held sacred in Egypt from their supposed blindness, 

 being regarded as an emblem of primal night and darkness. Herodotus 

 states that the City of Buto was a place of sacred sepulture for these 

 animals and according to Pettigrew specimens of mummied Shrews 

 (Sorex) have been found at Thebes.* 



Three genera and some 75 or more species and subspecies are found 

 in North America : 



KEY TO OUR GENERA. 



GROUP 1. Tail decidedly more than % total length; ears visible. 



SECTION I. More than 3 unicuspid teeth, large enough to be readily seen on 



each side of upper jaw. 



Hind foot not fringed. Genus SOREX, p. 410. 



Hind foot fringed. Genus NEOSOREX, p. 420. 



SECTION 2. Only 3 unicuspid teeth, large enough to be readily seen on each 



side of upper jaw; size small. Genus MICROSOREX, p. 418. 



GROUP 2. Tail less than % total length; ears hidden by fur. 



Genus BLARINA, p. 422. 



English naturalists tell us that these little animals have always 

 been the subject of many foolish superstitions in Europe, one of the 

 most popular being the belief that, if a Shrew ran over the foot of a 

 beast or a man (in the case of the latter shoe leather seems to have been 

 no protection), it would cause serious lameness and often much suffer- 

 ing. Luckily immediate relief could always be obtained by touching 

 the unfortunate victim with the twig "Shrew-ash." To prepare this 

 wonderful remedy a hole was bored in a tree and in it was placed the 

 twig of an ash tree and a live Shrew, the opening being then sealed up. 

 When the twig was thoroughly medicated it was removed, and was 

 supposed to retain its curative power for an indefinite period. 



* Hist. Egyptian Mummies, 1834, p. 195. 



