100 



VEETEBRATES. 



false reports, and been treated witli great cmelty on account 

 of those fables. Eustics formerly believed that the poor little 

 harmless creature paralyzed their cattle by running over them, and 

 that the only way to cure the diseased animal was to place a bough 

 of shrew-ash on the injured part. The shrew-ash was made by 

 boring a hole into an ash-tree, and then plugging up in the hole 

 a linng shrew-mouse. By the same process of reasoning a shrew 

 cat in half, and placed on a wound supposed to be caused by its 

 bite, was considered a certain remedy. 



The Water Shrew frequents brooks and clear running 

 ditches, in the banks of which it lives. It swims and dives with 

 great ease, and when under water appears as if it had been 

 speckled over its entire surface with silver, from the bubbles of 

 air which adhere to its fur. It eats the grubs of various aquatic 

 insects, digging them out of the muddy banks with its snout. 



The Mole, without being blind, has such small eyes, and 

 these so concealed, that it was formerly supposed to be able to make 



little use of the sense of sight ; but it is now known that its eyes 

 possess all the qualities necessary to distinct vision. It enjoys also 



