42 BULLETIN NO. VII. 



visitors were not bashful about criticising the housekeeping of 

 their host, if their apparent amusement can thus be interpreted, 

 but it was a most good humored little party nevertheless which 

 thus unceremoniously ransacked my larder. The party in- 

 creased in numbers and merriment, until I was almost forced 

 to believe myself an uninvited guest within the magic circle 

 of Queen Mab's domain. I watched with interest the result 

 of their intrusion into the traps which stood about for the 

 capture of any red-backed mouse that might invade my camp, 

 but Sorex passed entirely within, and daintily arching his back 

 contentedly nibbled the cheese, and when the spring rose 

 usually suffered but a short fright, and returned to finish the 

 interrupted meal. Canned fish seemed to be more acceptable 

 than any other food I had to offer. Tiring of the watching, I 

 again lay down to sleep, during which time elfin voices sounded 

 in my dreams. About midnight one of the little imps sprang 

 across my face in so violent a way as to partially waken me, 

 and thus, as good fortune had it, I was awake sufficiently to 

 recognize the meaning of a sharp crack overhead and sprang 

 out of my bed in time to see it occupied by a massive tree-trunk 

 which the fire had burned off not far from the ground. 



The short-tailed shrew was seen during the progress of these 

 investigations but seldom. While riding through a densely 

 wooded portion of northwestern Hennepin county, near lake 

 Independence, a small animal was seen running in an uncertain 

 way across the road ; a hasty pursuit resulted in its capture, 

 although in an imperfect condition. It thus seems certain that 

 this shrew is not strictly nocturnal. The same is true of the 

 smaller shrews. They seem to rely more largely upon the 

 sense of smell than that of vision, and are measurably inde- 

 pendent of light in carrying on their search for insects. The 

 smaller shrews were formerly abundant about Minneapolis, 

 and their runways under the slight crust of a new snow, were 

 everywhere encountered. It is certain that they endure the 

 rigors of our severe winters well. Of late we have been unable 

 to secure many specimens, perhaps owing to the abundance of 

 cats, which, I dare say, do not make any fine zoological distinc- 

 tions before dinner. 



In the American Naturalist (vol. vii, p. 483), Mr. G. Linceum 

 gives a graphic account of the habits of a species of Sorex 

 from Long Point, Texas, a part of which I quote : 



' * They dwell in warm nests made of grass, about the fences 

 or edges of the prairie. They do not come about houses, and 



