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harm in other ways, unless indeed the damage done to our corks, 

 when we neglect to look after them, be taken into account. The 

 unprepossessing exterior, evil odour, and shrill voice of this little 

 creature make it most unpopular. 



I disbelieve the almost universal Anglo-Indian idea mentioned at 

 page 53 of Jerdon that the passage of a musk rat over a corked bottle 

 of wine or beer will infect the contents. English-bottled liquor is 

 never tainted in this way. That much liquor, both wine and beer, 

 bottled in India is undrinkable from the musky odour we all know 

 too well ; but the cause is neglect in looking after the corks before 

 they have been used, probably also in seeing that the bottles are 

 perfectly clean. 



I am not sure that a musk rat unless when disturbed or 

 frightened exhales its odour, whether this be the case or not, I 

 admit that corks previously to being used, are in India often impreg- 

 nated by some vile smell, but just as often in my opinion, that of 

 cockroaches as of musk rats, and that much liquor is ruined there- 

 from ; cockroaches too, often get into empty bottles, but I cannot 

 for an instant believe that the scent of a musk rat could pierce 

 through well-corked glass. If the odour of musk rats were suffi- 

 ciently acute and penetrating to do this mischief, most of our 

 houses in India would be uninhabitable, our book-shelves and chests 

 of drawers unapproachable. 



Britons came to India prejudiced against shrews and perfectly 

 ready to believe any evil against them, for instance 



At page 450, Quarterly Review, for April 1868, there is the fol- 

 lowing remark in an article headed " The Farmer's Friends and 

 Foes." " Every one is doubtless acquainted with the form of that 

 " mouse-like creature, the common shrew (Sorex Araneus. Linn) 

 " with velvety fur and long prominent snout, so common in our 

 " fields. This animal must be enumerated among the farmer's 

 " friends. Possessing like its relative the mole a rapacious appe- 

 " tite, it does much good by consuming various insects both in 

 " their larval and adult stage. Amongst the superstitions of old 

 " times this little creature held an unfortunate place, it was seriously 

 " believed that the shrew was a formidable enemy to cattle." 



The article goes on to mention a case taken from * Brand's Popu- 



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