THE CAROLINA SIIOKT-TAIIiED SIT RE W. 



601 



The snake was vigorous when placed in the cage in the afternoon 

 and bit at everything within reach. The next morning the glass 

 sides of the prison were streaked with dirt and other marks to the 

 height the snake could reach, bearing witness to his energetic efforts 

 to escape. He was then lying on the earthen floor in an exhausted 

 state, while the Blarina was busy tearing out his masseter and tem- 

 poral muscles. A large part of the flesh was eaten from the tail, 

 and the temporal and masseter muscles and eye of one side were re- 

 moved. The shrew had apparently not been bitten by the snake." 



In the winter, in some localities at least, they eat large quantities 

 of snails. 



Economic status. — It is apparent from the foregoing account 

 that the short-tailed shrew is one of the most useful of our small 

 mammals. The amount of grain or other crops eaten by the species 

 is insignificant, while the good it does by destroying noxious insects 

 and other pests is considerable. The eagerness with which these 

 animals attack mice, indicates that the latter are a regular article 

 of food for the shrews. They sometimes enter cellars and barns and 

 their presence should always be encouraged. They have a disagree- 

 able odor which renders their flesh distasteful to cats and other 

 rapacious beasts and birds. 



They are fairly prolific, from two to five young being produced 

 in each litter. The young are born in a nest of grass and leaves, 

 usually placed under an old log. The number of litters per season 

 and other details of their breeding habits are unknown. 



The short-tailed shrews appear to be much more abundant in the 

 northern part of the State than in the southern portion, although 

 quite common there also. 



BLARINA BREVICAUDA CAROLINENSIS (Bachman). 

 CAROLINA SHORT-TAILED SHREW. 



Sorex carolinensis Bachman, Journ. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phil., Vol. 



VII, pp. 366-370, 1827. 

 Blarina carolinensis Baird, Mam. N. Amer., p. 45, 1857. 

 Blarina hrevicauda (part) Evermann and Butler, Proc. Ind. 



Acad. Sci. for 1893, p. 132, 1894. 



Blarina hrevicauda carolinensis Merriam, N. Am. Fauna, No. 10, 

 p. 13, 1895. 



Diagnostic characters. — Similar to B. hrevicauda but smaller 

 and more brownish in color. The basal portion of the hair is slate- 

 color in both forms, but in carolinensis the tips, instead of having 



