412 Field Museum of Natural History — Zoology, Vol. XL 



Common Shrew (Sorex pfrsonatin). 

 (About M nat. size.) 



the interior and several of the most northern counties including Douglas, 

 Iron, Florence, and Vilas. 



This diminutive species usually makes its home under an old log or 

 stump or beneath the roots of a tree ; sometimes it uses a hole in a fallen 

 tree. In open fields and meadows it is often found under haycocks. 



Shrews are both diurnal and nocturnal, but they are so small and 

 active they are rarely seen. Probably not one person in a hundred 

 has ever seen a dead Shrew and the percentage is very much less for 

 those who have seen a live one in its natural haunts. Sometimes a 

 hunter, while remaining perfectly still, watching for game, may catch 

 a fleeting glimpse of one of these little animals as it hurries across an 

 open space among the leaves, but in most cases it would pass unnoticed. 

 Dr. C. Hart Merriam says: ''The naturalist well knows that, however 

 cautiously he may walk, the stir of his footsteps puts to flight many 

 forms of life that will reappear as soon as quiet is restored; therefore, 

 in his excursions through the woods, he waits and watches, frequently 

 stopping to listen and observe. While thus occupied it sometimes 

 happens that a slight rustling reaches his ear. There is no wind, but 



