SHOVEL 



SHREW 



419 



result of accident in three different directions viz. 

 (1 ) downwards and inwards into the axilla, which 

 is by far the most common form ; (2) forwards and 

 inwards; and (3) backwards on the infra-spinous 

 fossa, or the dorsum of the scapula. The first of 

 these varieties is of very common occurrence, and 

 everybody should know how to recognise, and even 

 (in an emergency) to treat it. The bones are in 

 the position shown in the figure ; the arm is length- 

 ened ; a hollow may be felt under the acromion, 

 where the head of the bone ought to be ; the 

 shoulder is flattened ; the elbow sticks out from 

 the side, and cannot be made to touch the ribs ; 

 and the head of the bone can be felt if the limb be 

 raised, although such an attempt causes great pain 

 and weakness. The methods of treating such a 

 case are discussed at DISLOCATION. The scapula 

 may also be fractured in any of its parts as the 

 result of direct violence, and it.- inferior angle may 

 slip from its natural position. 



Shovel, SIR CLOUDESLEY, a brave but ill-fated 

 admiral, was born of poor parents, about 1650, 

 most probably at Clay, a Norfolk fishing-village. 

 Here lie was apprenticed to a shoemaker, but he 

 ran away to sea, and soon rose by his remarkable 

 ability and courage through the grades of cabin- 

 boy and seaman to the quarter-deck. He served 

 as lieutenant under Sir John Narborough in the 

 Mediterranean (1674), burned four pirate ships 

 under the walls of Tripoli, commanded a ship at 

 the battle in Bantry Bay ( 1689), and was soon after 

 knighted for his conduct. In 1690 he rose to be 

 rear-admiral of the blue, and took an active part 

 in the battle off Beachy Head ; two years later, as 

 rear-admiral of the red, he supported Admiral 

 Russell heroically at La Hog^ie, and himself 

 burned twenty of the enemy's ships. He was sent 

 to Vigo in 1702 to bring home the spoils of Kooke, 

 next served under that hero in the Mediterranean, 

 and led his van at Malaga. In January 1705 he 

 was made rear-admiral of England. That year he 

 took part with Peterlmrougli in the capture of 

 Barcelona, but failed in his attack on Toulon in 

 1707. On the voyage home his ship, the Associa- 

 tion, struck a rock off the Scilly Isles, on the foggy 

 night of the 22d October 1707, and went down with 

 800 men on board. Three other vessels of his 

 squadron perished with a loss of over 2000. Sir 

 Cloudesley Shovel's body was washed up next day, 

 and buried in Westminster Abbey. 



Shoveler (Rhynchaspis or Sjmtuln), a genus 

 of Ijinls of the duck family, Anatidie, having the 



The Common Shoveler (Rliiiiichatpii clypeata), 

 male and female. 



hind-toe smalt, free, and unlobed ; and remarkable 

 for the expansion of the end of the mandibles in 

 adult birds, particularly of the upper mandible. 



The lamellae of the mandibles are long and very 

 delicate. The legs are placed near the centre of the 

 body, so that these birds walk much more easily 

 than many of the ducks. The Common Shoveler 

 (R. clypeata) is smaller than the wild duck, but 

 rather larger than the widgeon. The shoveler is a 

 visitant to the British Isles, especially during cold 

 weather. A few remain all the year. It is widely 

 distributed over North Africa, Europe, Asia, and 

 North America. It is reported as having been 

 found in Australia. Its nest is made of fine grass, 

 with a lining of down, on dry ground on the 

 borders of rushy lakes. The eggs, from eight to 

 fourteen in number, are of a pale greenish burl' 

 colour. Its food consists of grasses, worms, slugs, 

 snails, insects, and small crustaceans. Its flesh is 

 well flavoured and very highly esteemed. The bird 

 is often called Broad-bill. 



Showers of Fishes occasionally fall in 

 different parts of the world, exciting great aston- 

 ishment. Instances of this kind have occurred in 

 Britain. On one occasion a shower of small 

 three-spined sticklebacks fell near Merthyr-Tydvil 

 in Wales, sprinkling the ground and housetops 

 over a large area. If caught up by a whirlwind 

 from any of the brackish ponds near the sea, 

 in which this species of fish abounds, they must 

 have been conveyed through the air a dis- 

 tance of almost thirty miles. Another similar 

 instance occurred at Torrens, in the Isle of Mull, 

 in which herrings were found strewed on a hill five 

 hundred yards from the sea, and one hundred feet 

 above it. Such downfalls are more common in 

 tropical countries. In India a shower of fishes 

 varying from a pound and a half to three pounds 

 in weight has been reported. Sometimes the fishes 

 are living, more frequently they are dead, and 

 sometimes dry or putrefying. They are always of 

 kinds abundant in the sea or fresh waters of the 

 neighbourhood. The occurrence of the phenomenon 

 is readily explained by the partial vacuum and 

 strong up-draught produced in the centre of a 

 whirling column of air like that of a Tornado 

 (q.v.). Such a whirling column in passing over 

 the surface of a lake or river or of the sea may 

 suck up a considerable quantity of water along 

 with any living creatures that may be in it. This 

 may be carried for a considerable distance, and is 

 discharged as a waterspout or cloudburst when the 

 rotational energy of the whirl is expended. 

 Showers of frogs (when authenticated) are a 

 similar phenomenon. Showers of dead flies have 

 also been reported. The analogous showers of 

 'sulphur' or of 'blood' are produced by wind- 

 l>orne pollen from pine-trees, or minute organisms 

 of fungoid nature and bright red colour. In the 

 latter cases the organic particles probably play the 

 part of dust in causing the rain-drops to form. 

 See BLOOD-RAIN. 



Shrapnel, LIEUTENANT - GENERAL HENRY 

 (1761-1842), invented the Shell (q.v.) named after 

 him. 



Shrcvenort, a city of Louisiana, on the west 

 bank of Red River (here spanned by an iron bridjji; 

 of 1200 feet), and 328 miles by rail NW. of XVw 

 Orleans, with which it has also regular steamboat 

 connection. It ships cotton, hides, wool, and tallow, 

 contains planing and saw mills, foundries, machine- 

 shops, breweries, and manufactories of cotton-gins, 

 cotton-seed oil, soap, ice, carriages, &c. Pop. 

 (1880)8009; (1890) 11,979. 



Shrew (Soricidie), a family of insectivorous 

 mammals closely resembling, in general form and 

 appearance, the true mice and dormice, but in 

 reality widely differing from and not to be confused 

 with those rodents. The shrews have the head 

 small, muzzle long and pointed, eyes small but 



