THE COMMON SHREW 



kept a shrew-ash at hand, which when once medicated, would maintain 

 its virtue for ever. A shrew-ash was made thus : — Into the body of 

 the tree a deep hole was bored with an augur, and a poor devoted 

 shrew-mouse was thrust in alive, and plugged in, no doubt with several 

 quaint incantations long since forgotten." 



According to Bell, from five to seven young ones are born at a time 

 about the middle of April. These are reared in a nest of grass or dead 

 leaves in a hollow of the ground protected by herbage or similar cover. 

 On the other hand I have seen a nest, consisting of dead oak leaves 

 and containing young as late as November 19th. This was found in a 

 collection of old faggots in my garden. 



THE LESSER OR PIGMY SHREW. 



Sorex minutus, Linnaeus. 

 Plate 9. 



To the Rev. L. Jenyns is due the credit of having first pointed out 

 that the Lesser Shrew differed from the larger species, describing it 

 under the name of Sorex rusticus. 



This tiny creature, the least of our British Mammals, measures barely 

 2 inches from snout to root of tail, the length of the tail, without the 

 terminal hairs being about i^ inches. Apart from the smaller and more 

 delicately formed body and feet and more elongated snout, the long 

 thickly haired tail is a sure means of distinguishing this species from the 

 Common Shrew. 



The colour of the upper parts is a pale brown, paler I think than 

 in the larger species, and in the living specimen which served as a model 



39 



