THE OREGON SPOETSMAN 



Moles and shrews are often accused of being agents of de- 

 struction about gardens. That moles are justly accused there 

 can be no question, though it is not through the eating of the 

 vegetation, for they are not vegetarians; but rather because in 

 burrowing about for worms and insects they make tunnels and 

 through these tunnels the field mice can go and eat to their 

 hearts' content in perfect safety from all enemies. Did I say 

 all? Well, that's not quite true, for their greatest enemy is the 

 shrew, a little creature which has an enormous appetite for mice, 

 in addition to its regular fare of insects. This includes such pests 

 as grasshoppers, crickets, slugs, June bugs, locust larvae and 

 earthworms, but always the favorite is mice, dead or alive. 



The recognition marks of the shrew are the pointed snout, no 

 visible external ears and eyes very small. Indeed it depends on 

 its highly specialized senses of touch, hearing and smell for guid-* 

 ance in probing about and searching for food, and eats from 

 twice to three times its own weight every twenty-four hours. 



There are several species in Oregon, and though they may 

 Eot all catch and eat full-grown mice, they all eat insects and it 

 is quite beyond one's imagination to think of the myriads one 

 shrew must destroy in a year. 



Prof. Cope writes of a Carolina shrew overcoming a water 

 snake two feet in length, which shows the courage and fighting 

 qualities of this little creature. Cats will not eat them, though 

 they will catch them in mistake for mice. 



This little mouse-like animal (I say mouse-like for it is, 

 after all, but a superficial resemblance, a true mouse having the 

 long front knawing teeth of the rodent) has been known to kill 

 and eat even the large meadow mouse of twice his own weight. 



Shull, estimating four short-tailed shrews to the acre, fig- 

 ured that on a farm of one hundred acres, they would, in a year, 

 devour 38,400 mice. "When we think of the vast amount of dam- 

 age of which these rodents are capable we must admit the great 

 benefit shrews are to man and give them all the protection in 

 our power. 



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