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THE AMERICAN NATURALIST [Vol. XLI 



of owl capture shrews but the species of shrew is not stated. Mont- 

 gomery (1899) found the skulls of shrews in the pellets of the long- 

 eared and the short-eared owl. The number of shrews taken, 

 however, is relatively small. For example, Fisher (1893, p. 53) 

 found in 562 stomachs of the red-tailed hawk 45 specimens of 

 shrews. Of these one third were short-tailed shrews, taken in 

 10 individual stomachs. In 39 stomachs of the barn owl (p. 139) 

 5 specimens of shrews were found, among which was Blarina. 

 Montgomery (1899, p. 566-567) found that out of 347 skulls of 

 mammals taken from the pellets of the long-eared owl, only one 

 belonged to Blarina. These figures show that the item of shrews 

 does not count very heavily against the hawks and owls in esti- 

 mating the economic value of these birds. 



The subject of bird enemies of the shrew recalls the disturb- 

 ance produced in the hil)oratory by tlie fluttering of the pigeon's 

 wings. The sound was probably recognized as a familiar one by 

 the shrew. This accounts for the fact that the animal never 

 became oblivious to this particular sound. 



Surface fl90(), ])p. 155, 160, 189, 197) has found shrews in the 

 stomaclis of four spe("ies of snake, though in small munbers. In 

 at least one case lie was al)le to identify the specimen as Blarina. 

 Rhoads (1^K)3) and Stone and Cram (1902) state that small mam- 

 mals are ca{)tured l)y foxes, minks, weasels, and skunks. In 

 several instances tliey mention shrews among the ninnber, but in 

 no case is specific mention made of Blarina brevicauda. Dicker- 

 son (1907, p. 356) records that three specimens of Blarina brevi- 

 cauda were found dead in the fallen nest of a red squirrel. She 

 believed them to have been killed and stored there by tlie white- 

 footed mouse. This mouse is well known to utilize des(M't('(l nests, 

 among others that of the red squirrel, but whether it kills shrews 

 is doubtful. It apj)ears to me more probable that the shrews had 

 been killed by hirger l)ea>ts of ])rey and rejected, possibly on ac- 

 count of their odor (Rhoads. IIM).;. ]». |".);5; Stone and Cram, 

 1902, p. b^2). and had then Ix'cn picked np \>y the w^hitefooted 

 mouM". Tlii. ni..n.e is said by Stone and Cram (1902, p. 132) 



IV-Hii l.ii.l ciienn'es the shrew can escape to its burrows. From 

 tho^e enemies that can pursue it in its burrows, some other means of 



