S H K 



S H R 



SHOWEL, in /IgricuUure, a term applied to a blind for 

 a cow's eyes. 



SHOWER, a cloud refolved into rain, and difcharged 

 on a certain traft of ground. 



In Natural Hijlory we meet with abundance of inftances of 

 extraordinary and preternatural (howers ; z^Jhoivers of blood, 

 mentioned by Gatlendus and others; a hrimjlnne faoiver, 

 mentioned by Wormius ; Jhoixiers of frogs, mentioned by 

 Phny, and even by Dr. Plott ; ajlioiuer of millet feed in Si- 

 lefia, mentioned in the Ephem. German.; fhoiuers of afhes, 

 frequent in the Archipelago ; afhoiuer of tvheat, in Wilt- 

 (hire ; a fhoiver of whitings, mentioned in Philofoph. 

 Tranfaft. The natural reafons of many of which may be 

 feen under Raix. 



SHOWOOR, in Geography, a town of Hindooilan, in 

 Myfore, where, in 1790, a bloody battle was fought be- 

 tween the Britifh and Tippoo, and in which the latter was 

 defeated ; 15 miles S. of Sattimungulam. 



SHOWS, or Shaws, in Agriculture, a term applied to 

 the haulm or tops of potatoes. See Potatoe and So- 



LANUM. 



SHRAHEEN, in Geography, a mountain of Ireland, in 

 the county of Mayo ; 1 1 miles N.N.E. of Caftlebar. 



SHRAVEY Land, in Agriculture, a term ufed in fome 

 diftrifts, as thofe of Suflex, and fome others, to fignify 

 that of a ilrong, gravelly, or flinty nature. The fears or 

 holes on the fides of fteep hills, where the turf or fw-ard has 

 flipped away, and laid bare the foil on the South Down, 

 are fometimes called rtiraves. See Soil. 



SHREW, or &HB.-EW- Moufe, in Zoology, the common 

 name of the creature called by authors Mus araneus, and 

 Sorex araneus of Linna-us. It is an animal of a mixed 

 brown and reddifh tawny colour : the belly is white ; its 

 tail is about one inch and a half long, and covered with (hort 

 hairs ; its body is about two inches and a half in length ; and 

 its eyes black and very fmall ; they are indeed little larger 

 than thofe of the mole, and do not exceed the fize of 

 the head of the fmalleft pin ; it is no wonder, there- 

 fore, that the creature is almoil bhnd ; the rofe long aad 

 flender ; the ears fhort and rounded : the teeth are very 

 fmall, and differ in their ftape and fituation from thofe of 

 all other creatures in the world ; and feem as if nature had 

 in one creature made a fort of mixture of the teeth of the 

 moufe and the fnake kind. 



It has two long fore-teeth, as all the moufe kind have : 

 but thefc are not fingle, as in mice, but have two or three 

 other fmall and fharp teeth growing out of them : thefe, to 

 an accurate obferver, might either be wholly unfeen, or 

 taken for diftina teeth ; and the anterior long'teeth are not 

 feparatcd from the reil by any gap or fpace, as in the moufe 

 kind, but make one continued feries with the others. The 

 upper jaw in this creature is longer than the under, and the 

 teeth are fharp and ferrated, fome with two, fome with 

 three pomts, and thefe fo fmall, that they might eafily 

 not be feen, but that the tips of them are reddifh. Their 

 whole number is twenty. eight. 



It is very common in many parts of the world, and is 

 met with m almoit all our dry grounds, in old walls and 

 Iwles m the earth; near hay-ricks, dung-hills, and necelTary 

 houfes; It lives on corn, infcfts, and any fihh ; the cats 

 wdl kill It, but never attempt to eat it. It brings four or 

 five young at a time. 



Its whole body has a fetid and ofFenfive fmell. The an- 

 cients erroneoufly believed it was injurious to the cattle. 

 There feems to be an annual mortality of thefe animals iti 

 the month of Augult, numbers being then found dead m the 

 paths. 



It is diftinguifhed at firft light from the common moufe, in 

 that it is fmaller ; its nofe longer, and like a hog's ; it has 

 five toes on the hinder as well as the fore-feet ; its eyes are 

 extremely fmall ; its ears very fhort ; its claws are long and 

 whitifh, and its feet fhort. Ray and Pennant. 



Shrew- Mou/f, Water, Sorex fodiens of Pallas, is much 

 larger than the common fhrew ; its length from nofe to tail 

 being 3f inches ; its tail two mches ; the upper part of 

 the body and the head are of a black colour ; the throat, 

 breaft, and belly, of alight afh-colour ; and beneath the tail 

 there is a triangular dufl<y fpot. 



This animal inhabits Europe and Siberia ; was loft in 

 England till the year 1768, when it was difcovered in the 

 Lincolnfhire fens ; it burrows in the banks near the water, 

 and is faid to fwim under water ; it is called in fome places 

 the blind moufe, on account of the fmallnefs of its eyes ; and 

 it chirrups like a grafshopper. Pennant. 



SHREWSBURY, in Geography, an ancient borough 

 and market-town in the hundred of the fame name, and 

 county of Salop, or Shropfhire, England, is fituated on 

 two hills, peninfulated by the river Severn, at the dirtance 

 of 112 miles from Bath, and 162 miles from London. It i- 

 the chief town, or capital, of the county, and, from its hif- 

 torical importance, is particularly deferving of an extended 

 defcription, even in a work like the prefent. According to 

 the parliamentary returns of 181 1, it is divided into the fix 

 parifhes of St. Giles and Holy Crofs, St. Chad, St. Mary, 

 St. Julian, St. Alkmund, and Meole-Brace, which united, 

 contain 3229 houfes, and 16,606 inhabitants. It muft be 

 remarked, however, that fome of thefe parifhes extend a 

 fhort way into the country. The liberties of Shre.wfbury 

 comprife fix other parifhes, four townfhips, and two cha- 

 pelries. 



Origin and Hiftorical Events. — Although no doubt can be 

 entertained of the high antiquity of Shrewfbury, it being 

 frequently mentioned by our earlieft hiftorians, there is no 

 authentic record of its origin. Probable conjefture, however, 

 has afTigned that event to the fifth century, when the Britons 

 were forced by the Saxons to abandon all the country to the 

 eaftward of the river Severn. It is fuppofed that, after the 

 dettruftion of the Roman Uriconium, the fortifications of 

 which enabled the pofleflors for a time to check the progrefs 

 of their enemies, that they eftablifhed themfelves on the fcite 

 of Shrewfbury, on account of the natural fecurity afforded 

 by its lofty and peuinfular pofition. At that period this 

 fpot was called the Pengwerne hill, whence the town re- 

 ceived the appellation of Pengwerne, to which Powis was 

 fubfcquently added, when it had become the capital of 

 Powifland, and the feat of its princes, whofe palace occu- 

 pied the fame ground with the old church of St. Chad. 

 Here the Bntons maintained themfelves for feveral centuries, 

 notwithftanding the repeated efforts of the Mercian Saxons 

 to difpoffefs them ; but at length the arms of the warhke 

 Offa proved too powerful for further refiftance, and they 

 were compelled to retire to Mathrafael, among the moun- 

 tains of Montgomcryfliire, where they preferved their an- 

 cient dignity and independence, till finally fubdued by Ed- 

 ward I. of England. 



The Saxons, having obtained poffeffion of this ancient 

 capital, changed its name from Pengwerne to Scrobbefbyrig, 

 or Scrobbefbyri, which words have nearly the fame fignili- 

 cation, viz. " the head of the alder groves." Inftead of 

 levelhng it with the ground, as was their cuftom when they 

 feized upon any Britifh town, they feem to have protefted it 

 with care, and probably even increafed its opulence and ex- 

 tent. In the reign of Alfred it was numbered among the 

 principal cities in his dominions : and in that of Edward the 



Elder 



