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A DKSCRIPTION OF 
THE SHREW. (Sorex araneus.) 
THIS curious little animal closely resembles a mouse, ex- 
cept in its snout, which is long and pointed, to enable it 
to grub in the ground for its food, which consists of earth- 
worms, and the grubs of those beetles that undergo their 
transformation in the earth. Like the mole and the 
hedgehog, it is soon famished for want of food ; but the 
hedgehog has the advantage of being able to sleep for 
several months at a time, which the Shrew does not pos- 
sess, and, consequently, great numbers of the latter animal 
die every year in autumn, when their food becomes 
scarce. The Shrew, like the mole, is very fond of fight- 
ing ; and when two are seen together, they are generally 
engaged in a furious battle. The Shrew, like the hedge- 
hog, has been much scandalized by false reports, as will 
be seen by the following extract from that most amusing 
and interesting work, White's Selbome: "At the south 
corner of the area, near the church, there stood, about 
twenty years ago, a very old, grotesque, hollow pollard- 
