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The species is very abundant throughout its range. The 

 food is animal matter of a great variety of kinds, but chiefly 

 insects, worms, mice and snails. In disposition they are ner- 

 vous, ill-tempered and rapacious. They do not hesitate to attack 

 animals larger than themselves and in confinement will kill 

 and devour their fellows. 



Considering the abundance of these animals it seems strange 

 that the name "shrew" has not come into more general use, 

 especially among persons who live in the country and see them 

 often. When referred to on the farm they are almost invariably 

 designated "mole" or "mouse," and the name "shrew" is 

 scarcely recognized as belonging to a North American animal. 

 The shrews constitute a family by themselves, however, and may 

 very easily be distinguished from the moles by their smaller 

 size and mouse-like fore feet, and from the mice by their pointed 

 nose, small eyes and finer fur. 



By way of emphasizing and amplifying these statements in 

 regard to the characteristics of this species, I cannot do better 

 than to quote at length here from the writings of several recog- 

 nized authorities on the mammals of this country. 



I). E. Lantz. "The Large blarina (Blarina bremcauda Say) is 

 well distributed in eastern Kansas, and is probably found throughout 

 the state. It is found in the woods and in the fields, and lives in shal- 

 low tunnels, which it makes by pressing the soil aside, after the 

 manner of a mole. These tunnels may often be seen on the surface 

 of the ground. The color is uniform dark plumbeous above, a little 

 more ashy beneath, the feet brownish. When full grown it is about 

 four and a half to five inches in length. 



***** Our knowledge of the shrews is meager. They 

 are mostly nocturnal in their habits and, therefore, seldom seen. We 

 know that they feed almost entirely on insects and, from observation 

 of specimens kept in confinement, we suspect that they destroy other 

 small mammals, and even that they sometimes kill and devour other 

 shrews. At least, they are cannibals when in confinement, and only 

 the strongest survive in a cage. In trapping and poisoning small 

 mice I have often come upon partly devoured specimens, and have sus- 

 pected that shrews were responsible for the work. 



"There can be no doubt of the usefulness of this genus in destroy- 

 ing noxious insects. Shrews should not be destroyed. Unfortunately, 



