THE COMMON SHREW 
kept a shrew-ash at hand, which when once medicated, would maintain 
its virtue for ever. A shrew-ash was made thus : — Into the body of 
the tree a deep hole was bored with an augur, and a poor devoted 
shrew-mouse was thrust in alive, and plugged in, no doubt with several 
quaint incantations long since forgotten." 
According to Bell, from five to seven young ones are born at a time 
about the middle of April. These are reared in a nest of grass or dead 
leaves in a hollow of the ground protected by herbage or similar cover. 
On the other hand I have seen a nest, consisting of dead oak leaves 
and containing young as late as November 19th. This was found in a 
collection of old faggots in my garden. 
THE LESSER OR PIGMY SHREW. 
Sorex 7ninutus, Linnaeus. 
Plate 9. 
To the Rev. L. Jenyns is due the credit of having first pointed out 
that the Lesser Shrew differed from the larger species, describing it 
under the name of Sorex rusticus. 
This tiny creature, the least of our British Mammals, measures barely 
2 inches from snout to root of tail, the length of the tail, without the 
terminal hairs being about i\ inches. Apart from the smaller and more 
delicately formed body and feet and more elongated snout, the long 
thickly haired tail is a sure means of distinguishing this species from the 
Common Shrew. 
The colour of the upper parts is a pale brown, paler I think than 
in the larger species, and in the living specimen which served as a model 
39 
