Cooper Shrew 1097 



to move. Presently another stirs, and perhaps a third turns 

 completely over. Then something evanescent, like the shadow 

 of an embryonic Mouse, appears and vanishes before the retina 

 can catch its perfect image. Anon, the restless phantom flits 

 across an open space, leaving no trace behind. But a charge 

 of fine shot, dropped with quick aim upon the next leaf that 

 moves, will usually solve the mystery. The author of the per- 

 plexing commotion is found to be a curious, sharp-nosed creat- 

 ure, no bigger than one's little finger, and weighing hardly 

 more than half a dram. Its ceaseless activity and the rapidity 

 with which it darts from place to place is truly astonishing, 

 and rarely permits the observer a correct impression of its 

 form." 



At Carberry it was the most abundant of the Shrews, num- 

 I captured a dozen of them in 6 traps during August, 1884, 

 the traps being kept in the same places along the edge of a 

 slough half a mile in extent. 



In the Adirondacks they abound, and Merriam speaks of 

 killing 1 1 in one day under haycocks that had been standing 

 a few days in the rain. 



Like most of our small mammals, it is subject to periodic 

 fluctuation of numbers without evident cause. In 1882 and 

 1884, it was unusually numerous in Manitoba. 



The human ear can hardly hear the high-pitched squeak- voice 

 ing that is the only known sound of this small beast, and there 

 is every reason to believe that this is varied to express their 

 simple emotions, and even to serve as a song. 



Many times in the quiet summer and early autumn 

 evenings I have heard in the low thickets about the sloughs 

 of Manitoba, a faint small voice, a twittering, so fine and 

 high that it was not easily traced. It could not have been 

 far away, and no bird was seen to suggest the singer. I 

 think it probable that this was the song of a Sorex. 



Most, perhaps all, our Shrews have smell-glands on their 

 sides or lower parts; the extent and purpose of these have not 



