large mole with a short, densely haired tail, by which 

 it can be readily identified. The nostrils are crescent 

 shaped and the eyes and ears are so small as to be 

 invisible. The general coloration is a glistening black 

 above, becoming pale'r beneath and along the sides. 

 The hairs on the feet and nose are brownish. The ani- 

 mal measures a little more than seven inches when full 

 grown but the tail is very short. The nesting habits, 

 food, and litters of young are the same as in the preced- 

 ing species. This is the commonest of the three native 

 moles. 



Common Shrew: Long Tailed Shrew: 

 Masked Shrew 



Sorex pcrsonatus personatus 



The shrews are the smallest of our North Ameri- 

 can Mammals. Their size, combined with their noc- 

 turnal habits, probably accounts for the fact that they 

 are the least known members of the class. 



Although this species is called the common 

 shrew, it is by no means the most abundant in Penn- 

 sylvania. The shrew lives among piles of chips or 

 stones, or in shallow burrows, and not infrequently in 

 hollow logs. It is usually mistaken for a mouse or a 

 mole when seen scurrying through dead leaves. The 

 shrew is quick and agile and is a deadly enemy of 

 field mice. While it is classed as an insectivore, it is 

 rather omnivorous and eats vegetable matter in addi- 

 tion to insects and their larvae. 



While the shrew spends most of its time above the 

 surface of the ground, it forages in the tunnels of Moles 

 and other burrowing forms. In winter it tunnels 



-^ 70 >«■■■ 



