Hl.AKIXA HREVICAUDA. 1 65 



ter indicated a temperature of -20 Fahr. (-29 C). It makes long- 

 journeys over the snow, burrowing down whenever it comes to an 

 elevation that denotes the presence of a log or stump, and I am 

 inclined to believe that at this season it must feed largely upon 

 the chrysalides and larvcX of insects, that are always to be found in 



such places. 



The eyes of the Shrew are distincdy visible in the living animal, 

 not beint>- covered by the integument, as is the case with some of the 

 moles. Still, the sight is very much restricted, and is, I think, limit- 

 ed almost to the power of discriminating light from darkness. On 

 the other hand, the hearing is exceedingly acute, and tactile sensi- 

 bility is highly developed. 



Mr. John Morden, of Hyde Park, Ontario, has recendy published, 

 in the Canadian Sportsman and Naturalist, an article "On the 

 Mole." He states that in a trap set for mice he found, at one time, 

 a Shrew and two white-footed mice {Hcspcrouiyslcucopus), one of the 

 latter being dead and about half eaten. He goes on to say : " The 

 evenino- of that same dav, the mole was placed in an old laundry 

 boiler and the entire dead mouse given to it, which by morning was 

 entirely eaten, bones and all, except the hair. We then gave the 

 mole a large rat just killed, when it at once proceeded to eat out its 

 eyes, and by 4 o'clock next afternoon one side of the rat's head, bone, 

 together with the brains, were eaten, and strange to say. the mole 

 looked no larger .... Our curiosity was aroused to know by 

 what means a mole or shrew could kill mice which were larger than 

 itself; so four large meadow mice being procured, they were placed 

 in the boiler with the mole, which as soon as it met a mouse, showed 

 fight, but the mouse knocked it away with its front feet and leaped 

 as far away as it could. The mole from the first seemed not to see 

 very plainly and started around the boiler at a lively rate, reaching 

 and scenting in all directions with its long nose, like a pig that has 

 broken into a back yard and smells the swill barrel. The mice seem- 

 ed terror-stricken, momentarily rising on their hind legs, looking for 



