No. 488] 



HABITS OF THE SHREW 



511 



Tactile Sense.— It might be supposed that the shrew would 

 reach into a shell with its feet and feel whetlu r the Miail was there. 

 I found later that the tactile sense was acute. Whvw tlie sluvw 

 was running at full speed in its cage and came n|)oi) an ohstacle, 

 it invariably stopped short before touchiiiu- it except with it< 

 vibrissae. The most common obstacle was it> wnter disli, which 

 was frequently moved about to different places iu the cage. I am 

 not certain that I ever observed the shrew rim against the water 

 dish even immediately after it had been moved. I have seen the 

 shrew run past masses of such favorite food as earthw^orms without 



notu u.o tlu ni. but ^^hcu a u.mtu m it. uii -Im- t..u< hed the ta. tde 

 hairs, the slnvw turned at once au.l seized it. To Irani uiirther 

 the tactile mum ua. UMd w .luuuuu. iIh pi. m um nt a Miail in 

 its shell, I stufled theap. iiur..nr mnm iI ....upiMi -Ik 11^ uuli .oil 

 firmly, so that the snails wciv out ot M-lit and ivacli. 1 he cxtrrual 

 appearance of one of thcM' >\\v\\< was im a liuuian (.l.srr\-cr prtviM-Iv 

 like that of a stuffed on. iiuh ii u a^ la Id ii|> u. ilu h_l,i llu u 



