CARNIVORA. SORICID.^. 13 



horizontal, with the extremity turned into a hook ; snout ahernate, 

 tail moderately long ; feet all formed for running ; toes weak, 

 separate ; teats six or eight ; sebaceous glands on the flanks. 



1. Sorex brevicaudis. Say. Short-tailed Shrew. 



Sorex brevicandis, Long's Exped., i. p. 164. Godman, Am. Nat. Hist. i. 

 p. 79. 



Figure ; Ibid. p. 81. 



Specific characters. Body dark lead color above ; lighter 

 beneath ; ears white, concealed in the fur ; nose eraarginate, 

 naked ; feet feeble white, first and fifth toes shortest ; tail de- 

 pressed, and short. First discovered in Missouri. 



Dimensions. 



in. t'ths. 



Wliole length, 4 5 



Head and snout, . . . ..11 

 Lower jaw, ..... 07 



Observations. The general character of the species may be 

 learnt from the remarks already made. The Shrews are remarka- 

 ble for their glandular apparatus, which gives them the strong 

 musky odor ; it is supposed by Geoflroy to be connected with the 

 sexual appetite, and to serve as a guide to conduct the sexes to 

 each other. The species which is described, is retained on the 

 authority of the former catalogues. I have not been able to meet 

 with it, and I have some doubts of the existence of this species 

 within the limits of this State. 



Although the Shrews form burrows in the ground, it cannot be 

 inferred that they are at all injurious to the agriculturist, but, on 

 the contrary, that they are rather beneficial ; at any rate, no 

 positive injury is known to be produced by them. There is, 

 however, a tradition abroad concerning them, which, if true, 

 would justly raise a prejudice against them ; it is this, that if a 

 Shrew should run over the leg of a cow or a horse while reposing 

 in the grass, it would cause lameness ; for this reason the animal 

 is invariably killed when an opportunity occurs. The Shrews, 

 like the Moles, are impatient of hunger. All the species form a 

 nest of grass in some sheltered place on the surface, among the 



